Life Imitating Art
by Hari-Aisu
Summary: It's one thing to get to the top, it's another entirely in trying to stay there. If singer Yagami Raito can manage to stay alive through the fanatics, crazy homicidal maniacs and creepy detective stalkerness, he'll consider himself lucky. LxLight
1. Dreaming Big and Living Large

Yup, another story. I can't help it... when a plot bunny hops into my head, I HAVE TO WRITE! ((sweat drops)) Yeah. Many thanks goes to Kitsune55, who not only implanted said plot bunny, but who is gonna be my beta reader for this fic. Thanks so much, hon! Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of many more to come!

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, damn it, but I sure as hell own those damn lyrics. ((hugs lyrics)) Mine.

* * *

_Italics: Flashback_

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter One: _Dreaming Big and Living Large_

* * *

_"Father!"_

_Yagami Soichirou smiled brightly as his son ran to him. Dropping his bag by the door, he grasped onto his son's small five-year-old body "How has my little boy been today?"_

_"Great, otou-san!" Little Yagami Raito grinned as his father placed him on the ground, his mother smiling beside him whilst holding his little sister within her dainty arms. "Hello, koibito." _

_Soichirou turned towards, his wife and kissed lightly on the lips. _

_"Ew... daddy has cooties!" _

_Both adults laughed at the small boy, his father ruffling up his hair as a disgusted look overcame his face. _

_"That's my baby boy!" Soichirou chuckled as the boy became indignant, glaring at his father menacingly... or as menacingly as a cute five-year-old boy could look._

_"I'm not a baby. Sayu's a baby! I'm a big boy..." _

_"Of course you are, Rai-chan." Yagami Sachiko cooed gently as she handed her barely month old baby to Soichirou and knelt beside the child, kissing him lightly on his cheek, "You are definitely mommy's big boy."_

_"Yeah! And when I get even bigger..." Raito's caramel eyes began to shimmer, stars basking around the chibi-boy's face, "I'll be famous! So famous, that you and dad will talk all about me, all the time! Even... even... even more famous than L, the greatest detective in the world!!"_

_Soichirou grinned, patting the small boy on the head. "So Raito wants to be a great detective then?"_

_Raito snorted, causing his father to blink in surprise. "Detective? Yeah, right. No... When I say famous, I mean FAMOUS! Like, stadiums filled with fans and groupies constantly chasing me and lots and lots of money and power..."_

_"Err... Rai-chan?"_

_"I can see it all now." Raito dreamily clasped his hands together, his large doe eyes glimmering in excitement. "I'll be the best singer in the whole wide world! And nobody'll bring me down!" _

_Soichirou sweat dropped in exasperation._

_"Not this again..." _

_"No! You'll see, dad! I'll be so big; everybody will know and praise my name!" Raito stomped his foot on the rugged floor, pouty lips plumping up even further. "I'll be like a God to this world... and every body else will be like my peons!"_

_Sachiko smiled patronizingly to the young boy as he bounced in excitement._

_She had always had a soft spot for her eldest son, and she doubted that would deteriorate with age. _

_"Sure you will, honey. But until then, it's time for your nap." _

_"But MOOOOOOM! I have to train my voice! My voice coach says that if I keep practicing according to my schedule, I'll be able to-"_

_"Raito. Upstairs, now. Sleepy time awaits."_

_The young boy sighed as he moodily climbed the stairs, stopping at the top to stare down at the family below him._

_"I'll show you. I'll show you all. I'll get to the top someday... and nobody'll bring me down."_

_Soichirou sighed as Raito then ran into his room, running a hand through his dark hair. "That boy's head is always in the clouds. It's starting to worry me, to tell you the truth." _

_"Soichirou, he's just five. I'm sure it's just a phase." _

_The older man wearily smiled down at the love of his life, gently kissing her on the forehead as he shut his light brown eyes. "I sure hope so..."_

_"SOMEWHEREEEEEEEE, OVER THE RAINBOWWWWW..."_

_Super Chibi-Raito Jazz hands!_

_"AND ONE, AND TWO, AND THREE, AND FOUR!"_

_Stomp. _

_Stomp._

_Stomp._

_Stomp._

_The family sweat dropped consecutively... including the baby._

_'God knows what I'll do if the boy is actually serious about this.'_

* * *

Ebony eyes circled with black sags carefully reviewed the video tapes on display, the many monitors around them brightly illuminating the sloppy work area around him. A hand groped another piece of strawberry pocky, anxiously stuffing it into the already full mouth as small specks of chewed up food clung to his lips.

"L?"

"Yes, Watari?"

"I have those files you requested."

"Thank you. You may set them over here. I will look through them in a moment's time."

"Of course, L."

Watari began humming unconsciously as he set down the files and began unloading the multiple sweets he also carried with him around the insomniac. L's eye twitched as the melody caught him off-guard, something that didn't happen too often. Words began making their way out of Watari's mouth, L blinking at the sudden change of atmosphere.

"You used to reflect... on those few memories... It's too bad... they're all of me."

"Err..."

L wasn't stunned into speechlessness very often, but at the sound of the older man actually singing, he thought he could make a special exception this time.

"One day I'll ponder... And look farther..."

"Watari?!"

"Eh?" The bushy browed gentleman blinked at the smaller man, his face contorted out of its usually blank visage and twisted into one of unadulterated horror. "L? Is something the matter?"

"You were singing." The 25-year-old man stated relevantly, his dark eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Did you not notice your own voice reverberating through the empty room?"

"Ah, I see. I apologize. It must be that new song that has been playing continuously on the radio these past couple of weeks. It's quite addicting, actually." An obscured eyebrow quirked up in interest as Watari finished setting up the plates and platters around the genius, nodding as he fully stood back up and began to waltz his way out of the room. "Watari, wait."

The older man stopped in his steps, glancing over his shoulder as L curiously placed a thumb to his lips and gently gnawed on it in concentration. "What is the name of this band that has infiltrated your mental processes?"

Watari laughed a bit at L's never ending curiosity and smiled at the man who was really just a boy at heart. "I believe the name of people playing the song is called "Moonlight". Strange name, do you not think?"

L tilted his head to the side, his eyes sliding up to the ceiling in deep thought as he absently nodded. "Yes... but these children these days always pick peculiar names to accredit themselves with."

"Will you be needing anything else, L?" The younger of the two shook his head, adjusting himself so that he was facing the monitors once again. Once the dark eyed man was sure his man-servant slash trusty side kick was gone from the room, he flicked his hand over to his lap top, opening up a webpage and quickly typing a name within the search bar.

_**Moonlight**_

He was almost shocked at how many web pages opened up under the band's name.

"Hmm..."

Without thinking about it, and completely ignoring the many screens around him at this point, L began searching through the pages one by one, until a lyrics page caught his eye.

'Those were the same lines Watari was singing.'

L quickly clicked on the link and quickly scanned the lyrics before downloading the song. 'The name of the song is called "After Awhile." I wonder what the appeal is…'

A smooth acoustic guitar quietly strummed against the silence of the room, echoing off the bare walls in a smooth tumble. A gentle tenor voice entered a couple bars after, catching L off guard with the sensuality of its tone.

_**"After awhile, I start to remember just what it was I saw in you. It's like a dream... the end; a blur. If only I could forget the beginning as well..." **_

A heavy blush filled L's cheeks as an unusual pool of warmth filled his lower regions. He gulped, obsidian eyes blinking hesitantly as the guitar was then accompanied by a set of drums and bass, voice swelling alongside the music.

_**"You used to reflect on those few memories; it's too bad they're all of me. I used to hate thinking of yesterday - It's now I've learned these days will soon fade away." **_

A haziness slowly filtered L's mind as his hands gripped onto the handles of the seat, his crouched legs squelching together as the 25-year-old man squirmed lightly within the chair.

'What is this...? I'm feeling?'

_**"One day, I'll ponder and look farther than I ever did when I was with you. Until then, I'll have to stick with now. But after awhile, now starts to look-"**_

"L?" Watari suddenly called out, catching the detective completely off-guard.

"Ack!" The ebony-eyed man tipped over in surprise as he tumbled onto the floor, body twisting as he unceremoniously hit the ground.

"L!"

"Ah... I'm alright, Watari." L blinked as he dazedly picked himself up and shrugged off the hands attempting to brush him off. "It was just a small fall. I did not break any ligaments or bones."

_**"Under the strain of you're burden, I'll purge myself until I'm blue in the face. After awhile, I know I'll soon forget..." **_

Watari grinned over at the laptop, L's face an inexplicable shade of burgundy red as the song continued to play. "I see you enjoy the song as well?"

L coughed slightly.

"Shall I purchase their latest album?"

L's eyes widened.

"There is more than one album?"

Watari sighed.

"I'll get to work on gathering their whole catalog for you, L."

"Thank you, Watari. That will be greatly appreciated."

Watari stifled another smile as L returned to his laptop, the song still playing in the background of the room as he finally got back to work.

"Of course, L."

_**"You used to smile inspite of the pain... It's now you've realized those hidden tears were all you had to really gain." **_

* * *

_Raito swung his arms forward, the object between his grasp thrown up in the air in a series of twirls as Raito swayed his body to the left, narrowing his eyes in extreme concentration. _

'_I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I can-'_

"_Oh shit!" _

'_I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T DO THIS! OH FUCK, I CAN'T DO THIS!'_

_CRASH!_

"_Ow…" Fourteen-year-old Yagami Raito winced as he picked himself up from off the dirty garage floor and grabbed his guitar, which lay a couple feet away from where he had landed so wonderfully on his ass. _

"_I told you it takes time to master the great 'throw-your-guitar-in-the-air' move. Dude, you need to listen up more." _

"_Grr…" Raito snarled as he positioned his fingers on the strings once more, his mouth at the microphone once again. "I know that, jackass. But how else am I going to get __**better**__ if not by actually __**practicing**__?" _

_"…"_

"_I thought so. Now, once more and from the top." Raito smirked as the rest of his band mates grudgingly got ready, still staring at him from the corner of their eyes. _

_Cinnamon brown eyes narrowed in concentration as the first strains of music infiltrated his mind and caused a music-induced haze to cloud his senses. _

'_I know I can do better than this, but at least it's a start.' The russet haired teen thought to himself, as he agilely began to strum the first couple of cords, the words tumbling from his lips oh so smoothly a couple bars into the song. 'I'll get to the top, and when I get there…'_

"_**Running in a haze of high expectations; maybe it would be better if I gave up on these aspirations…" **_

'_Everyone will know my name.' _

"_**Yet who would then deliver me from this necessary evil? Necessary for the simple fact that I have not purged myself in the name of 'good.'"**_

'_Everyone will know I'm a__** star.**__'_

* * *

"Good work, boys! Light, great job as always!" Yagami Raito, otherwise known simply as 'Light', smiled as nodded at the numerous people around him congratulating him and patting him on the back.

Raito internally rolled his eyes.

'Stupid people... as if I do this for them.'

The young 17-year-old singer strode by his many ass-kissers and groupies, not even giving them a second glance as he mockingly grinned towards all of them as they swooned collectively. Really, they only people he wished to see were his endless fans, and even they had their limits.

"So, awesome concert as always?"

"Of course! Did you see those chicks in the front row eyeing me, dude? I sense an orgy in the making!"

"Oh fuck yeah!"

"I love this fucking job…"

"Yeah, but you know if they had a chance to get down Light's pants, they'd forget about all of us in an instant."

"Lucky bastard."

Raito ignored the comments made by his Neanderthal group members, most of whom he didn't even know the names of, as he made it to his room and locked the door. Breathing in a sigh of relief, Raito wearily stripped himself of all of his clothing and changed into a temporary new set of loose jeans and a long sleeve black shirt that clung to his chest quite snuggly. He definitely needed a shower as soon as he made it to his hotel room.

'God, day in and day out, the same old fucking thing! You'd think I'd be satisfied now that I've finally managed to get what I've always wanted. Fans who adore me, my lyrics crossing the masses and masses of people all over the world, actually managing to make some sort of difference with my songs... yet why do I still feel so damn _empty_?'

The young man sat down and slumped against the chair in his private room, the silence of the space around him being shattered by the rumble of commotion going on in the backdrop of fans still waiting for him to show his face once more. Raito closed his eyes, slowly fading into an uncomfortably light sleep against his better wishes.

'Maybe if I give this all some more time... things will finally change... _I'll_ finally change.'

If only Raito knew just how right that statement was...

He'd probably take it back in an instant.


	2. Running Down the Same Path

_Italics: Either Flashbacks Or At One Point, Present Conversation Elsewhere._

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Two: _Running Down the Same Path_

* * *

City lights.

They were his constant companions, even in the farthest of reaches from his birth place and home. Faces filled with nothing but pure joy and merriment wandered down the illuminated streets as the bright glow of the buildings shimmered vibrantly on them all…

Oh, how he hated those lights.

Raito moved away from the window, his face contorting into a scowl as his band mates spoke of nothing but general nonsense.

'I need to get away from these people…' The headstrong brunette thought to himself as he clenched his teeth, digging his fists within his pockets. 'They're going to drive me mad!'

"Hey, Light!" One of them called out as the 17-year-old boy began to walk over to the hotel elevator, pushing the 'up' button rather violently. "Where are you going?! We've got chicks that are just waiting to be banged out there, man!"

"I've got better things to do than 'bang chicks', **man**." Raito replied with a snap, tapping his foot impatiently against the rugged floor.

"Dude, keep avoiding our female fans like you've been doing, and everybody's gonna think you're totally into dudes."

Vein Pop.

"Shut. Up. You. Idiot." The elevator finally arrived with a 'ding', Raito entering it without a second glance towards his moronic band members.

"We'll see ya la-"

And close.

'Ah, the wonders of the 'close' button. Oh, how I love you, my darling.' The auburn haired teenager steadily endured the horrible elevator music (You know, the kind that makes you want to kill multiple animals all at once) and breathed in a sigh of relief as the machine came to a stop and opened its doors. Spotlessly shiny shoes strutted out of the elevator, making their way to their private room in absolute glee.

"That's something to get excited about at least." Raito muttered to himself as slid the card key through its slot, quickly opening the door and shutting it thereafter. As the young man began to slip out of his clothing, a small rustle was heard from behind the attractive brunette as the distinct feeling of being watched crawled up his spine.

'What the…?'

A sharp turn of the head, and all Raito saw was a piece of paper lying on the bureau across from him. 'I didn't notice that there a second ago.'

As Raito picked up the small note, tiny letterings caught his eye. Rapid fire questions began to run through the boy's up to speed mind as a look of confusion settled over Raito's youthful face.

_**To run is worse**_

_**Than to hide**_

_**I'll catch you**_

_**No matter with who you confide**_

_**To run is worse**_

_**Than to hide**_

_**I'll catch you**_

_**No matter with who you confide**_

_**To run is worse**_

_**Than to hide**_

_**I'll catch you**_

_**No matter with who you confide**_

_**I'll see you later, love.**_

"What the fuck…" Raito dropped the piece of paper and took out his cell phone, quickly dialing his father's number.

The city lights gleamed through the window of the hotel room, casting an ethereal shine on its room's occupant as he rapidly spoke into the cell phone next to his ear. A dark shape hovered on the window pane, staring openly at the man's enticing back. A hand gently caressed the glass, thinking of all the things to come...

"_Catch me if you can…"_ A voice whispered in the wind, going unnoticed by the person the comment was aimed to. Footsteps echoed off the fire-escape as the figure disappeared down the multitude of stairs and railings, not paying attention to the enormous shape trailing behind it.

"_**Catch me if you can…" **_

* * *

"_Raito, how do you plan on finishing school if you're always off dallying about with this inane musical obsession of yours?!" Soichirou roared as the young man lazily reclined on the couch, barely giving any attention to his enraged father. _

"_Easy. I don't plan to."_

"_What!" _

"_I __**said**__, I don't-"_

"_I heard what you said," The older man glared down at his son, eyes burning with an uncontrollable anger barely being restrained. "I just can't believe you've said something so stupid!" _

"_I already know everything they're teaching me, dad! If I took the final exams now, I'd pass without a second thought!" The younger of the two Yagami men stood up, coming head to head with his father. "I'm bored with it, already. Quite frankly, school, COLLEGE, doesn't have anything to teach me that I don't already know. But this…" _

_Raito's eyes shimmered as a real smile, one not contrived from another day of senseless acting, encompassed his face. "I finally have a chance to take what I've always wanted. To live the life I know I deserve."_

_Soichirou rolled his eyes as he huffed out a breath. "You deserve to go to college and get a real job, not just lazy about and rely on that voice of yours to support you throughout your life!" _

"_And what's the difference between relying on my voice and relying on my intelligence?" Cocoa brown eyes glared back at their originator's as Raito snarled back at his father's response. "Both will fade in time, and as I see it, at least I'll be able to enjoy doing this instead of boring myself to death with stupid people constantly hanging around me all the time!"_

"_Raito!"_

"_It's true, isn't it? I'm not mediocre, and placing me with people who are is the worst possible punishment you could hand me! And I refuse to go down that damn road, __**Dad**__." Soichirou clenched his fists as Raito stared up into his eyes._

"_Let me do this. Let me show you I can, and if I can't, let me take the fall." Soichirou faltered as the words poured out of his son's mouth. "I'll make it to the top, or die trying dad. I swear." _

"… … … _I refuse to pick up the pieces, Raito."_

_Raito grinned as he tilted his head to the side rather victoriously._

"_You won't have to." _

* * *

"Watari, if you would kindly bring me another piece of cake?" L stared up at the older man with wide eyes, the other nodding without hesitation.

"Of course, L."

Heavy footsteps once again left the sterile room as L turned towards his laptop and scrolled down the screen.

'There's the one I want.'

"_**What is love (love), Baby don't hurt me… don't hurt me… no more-"**_

Click.

L sweat dropped internally.

'Wrong button. Watari will have to stop using my laptop for exercising procedures after today. I may have just been scarred for life.'

L scrolled down once more, smiling in relief as he once again clicked on the link he wanted and anticipated the coming of a smooth tenor voice infiltrating the small space he encompassed… and was not disappointed this time as melodic piano chords flowed through the room.

"_**Become as wings that outshine your sadness, cutting through the white darkness-"**_

Hands clenched each other tightly as toes squirmed freely against the seat's cushions. A deep breath was taken as L attempted to center himself once again.

"_**Illuminated by the cold sun, I had some tame freedom… On the miraculous night reflected in the mirror, my soul began to remove its mask."**_

Ebony eyes closed in complete relaxation as the 25 year old man reclined his head back against the chair, listening intently to the other man's enticing voice. Posters, which L had never even purchased before having listened to this specific band, hung around the walls of his monitoring room, honey brown eyes staring at L from all directions as the owner of the voice continued to serenade the detective.

"_**On the other side of the crumbling wall, despair and hope wear the same face; if your heart is not satisfied, head towards the ending prologue that flies away..."**_

Just as L was getting into the movement of the song (and the day dream of the man who sang it), the door opened abruptly, signaling Watari's anxious return.

"L, I-"

Click, click, click, and click!

"Yes Watari?" The 25-year-old detective asked innocently as he swung his chair back to meet the man's somewhat pale face. Dark eyes blinked as a serious expression crept onto the younger man's face. "Has something happened?"

Watari's mouth thinned as he put down the cake he had grabbed in his haste and laid down three pieces of paper face down on the table next to it. "You would have to see it to believe it, L."

"It cannot be that bad, Watari. I have practically seen it all at this point."

"Please take a look, L."

Two fingers plucked up the first piece of paper to meet his blank gaze-

Almost to drop it immediately after doing so.

"What was-"

"Look at it again, L."

Fingers once again grasped the photo, eyes blinking as the now evident crime scene was placed in front of his vision once again.

Blood was literally splattered everywhere as chunks of a person's body lay strewn around the room. Dried white patches were located around various parts of the, what L assumed to be, hotel room as a mutilated torso lay in the middle of the picture. A decapitated head was placed on its right side, a crown of white roses daintily placed around the forehead of the once living person. But what really caught his eyes was the message written on the walls, coated in dark red.

"_**I could wish for so many things, yet I know they'd only be half-hearted requests. A voice whispering sweet nothings in my ear, allowing me to believe I'm normal to an extent." **_

_**I'm watching you, love…**_

"That's a lyric to one of Moonlight's songs." L whispered as he continued to stare at the carnage in front of him. "But why would they contact me so soon after one murder…"

"It's not the only murder that's happened tonight, at that same location no less."

L blinked in surprise.

"What?"

"They've found two more crime scenes almost identical to this one tonight, all with various lyrics from Moonlight's songs. The crimes have taken place at the same hotel the band is currently residing in Manhattan, New York, but they have yet to find a clue as to who it could be." Watari shook his head as he stared down at the gruesome picture within L's grasp. "No finger prints, no DNA evidence, not even a name to pin to the rooms on, except for the victims themselves. They do not know what to tell the public, and without any evidence in their hands, they are quite literally lost from what I've heard. It seems we have a fanatic on our hands, L."

"That we do, Watari. Tell the New York law enforcement that I will take the case immediately. Afterwards, arrange a flight to our destination at hand and complete all reservations necessary."

"Yes, sir."

"And Watari-" L stopped the man as he was exiting the room, a still very serious expression on his face. "Do not allow the police to let that band out of their sight, no matter how much money they offer or how many lawyers they plan to send out in response to such a situation."

"L?"

"I want to meet with them myself." Were the last words out of his mouth before L began sifting through the other two pictures placed next to him, eyes quickly catching every detail before him.

'Whoever you are… I will catch you and bring you to justice. **That** is a promise.'

* * *

'Three deaths… three deaths… three deaths…'

Raito ignored the police around him, hand still clutching the note he found earlier that same evening.

'My lyrics… three deaths…'

A feeling of paranoia slithered into Raito's stomach as he felt multiple eyes watching his every move.

"_He's says not to let any of the band members leave the building, especially not the lead singer." _

Raito shivered as he listened into the conversation, eyes still prickling the back of Raito's neck.

"_Are you serious? Haven't these boys suffered enough?"_

"_You know what this guy says is basically law."_

"_Yeah, but they're just kids!"_

"_For all we know, one of them might've gone psycho and done this themselves! So don't start with all that crap, newbie." _

"_I doubt it. Did you see how shaken up that poor guy is? I don't think he even knows what's going on." _

"_Just shut up and do your job. And make sure not to mention anything about who's involved with this case... we don't want word to leak out to the press."_

"_You mean about-"_

"_**Yes.**__ Don't say a word. We've got to catch this guy any way we can, and if he knows just who he's dealing with, he might get harder to catch. Whoever this guy is... he's no idiot." _

"_Yes sir."_

"_Alright, so move out already!"_

"_Sir!"_

Raito blankly stared at the wall in front of him as nails dug deeper into his enclosed palms. The small crinkle of paper went unnoticed to the teen as his mind floated elsewhere, the conversation replaying over and over in his fast-paced mind.

'L. They were talking about L. He's taking the case. Three deaths… my lyrics… L's taking the case. Oh God…'

_**To run is worse**_

_**Than to hide**_

_**I'll catch you**_

_**No matter with who you confide**_

'Why do I feel so doomed?'

_**I'll see you later, love.**_

* * *

_Butterflies and colorful birds swarmed over the young man's vision as Raito stared up at the azure sky in content. A warmth settled in his stomach as the grass tickled the back of his neck, a notebook settled in one hand as a pen rested in another. _

_'My words are going to save the world one day...' The 16-year-old thought absently to himself._

_A smile bloomed over cherry red lips as Raito closed his eyes and dreamed of tomorrow..._

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the songs "True Light" (English translation) sung by Miyamoto Shunichi, which was recommended to me by my beta, Kitsune55 or "What is Love?" by Haddaway. But I do own that one small lyric at the crime scene! But anyways, the song, "True Light" is really pretty, and I thought went well with that specific scene. See Kitsune-chan? I'm not that much of a procrastinator! ... ... ... today.

Ooh... mysterious. ((grins)) I bet you all are wondering "Wtf is going on?!" with this chapter. Hm... I won't say. But I will thank Kitsune55 for beta-ing this chapter! Lol! See you guys next update!


	3. Our Fated Destinies

_Italics: Flashback_

**_"Bold/Italics": Song Lyrics_**

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Three: _Our Fated Destinies_

* * *

"_**I killed my own dreams in an attempt to repent for tormenting those so much like myself…" **_

_Raito smiled as he grabbed the microphone, staring out at the crowd of hungry fans calling out his name._

"_Rai-chan!"_

"_We love you, Raito!"_

"_Raito, throw us your shirt!"_

"_Fuck his shirt, throw us your pants! WOOOOOO! LET IT DANGLE, RAI-CHAN!"_

"_Woo! I'd totally let you do me!"_

"_Me too!"_

"_We'd let you do the both of us AT THE SAME TIME!"_

"_I'LL BE YOUR BABY'S MAMA, RAI-KUN!"_

"_SHIT, I'LL BE YOUR BABY'S MAMA, YOUR BABY'S DADDY, AND YOUR BABY'S GRANDPARENTS, YOU SEXY MAN-BEAST!"_

_Raito sweat dropped as the girls around him kept on screaming in a wild frenzy. _

"_Wait… what?" _

"_**Of penitence, I've had none. My sorrows have inhibited my worst of thoughts. The world has come crashing down; all I can do is search for what I have sought." **_

_His band members were staring at him with envy pouring from their eyes, but Raito could not drudge up the will to care. Eyes upon eyes gazed up at him with adoration, his words filling them with an ecstasy others could only imagine. _

_Here, he was not just Yagami Raito, son of Yagami Soichirou and Yagami Sachiko…_

_No, here… _

_He was __**God**__. _

_His heart beat escalated as more people cheered, chanting his name like a sacrilegious hymn. Raito tried to hold onto this feeling of invincibility, simply because he knew it would not, __**could not**__, last forever. _

_As soon as he exited this stage and left the arena, he would be Yagami Raito once again, and all he would have left of this experience was would be the after effects of a high he would once again have to fight to obtain. _

_Raito refused to __**not **__exploit this feeling..._

_Not when it was all he was still living for. _

* * *

'I wonder what he's like…' Obsidian eyes, droopy from both lack of sleep and the shift of time zones, stared blankly at the drab metropolitan scenery in front of them. 'Why-'

"L?"

L said nothing as he exited the plane, breeze running through his permanently disheveled hair. Dark eyes, drooping with heavy bags of black, carefully scanned his gray surroundings as he continued to step down the stairs, breathing in the smog-filled air.

"It seems that no matter what city we go to, they are all filled with the same toxic air."

Watari grinned at the glib comment, trailing after L as the young man continued to slouch forward until his sneaker-clad feet hit American soil. Two men wearily marched over to where L was standing, their faces covered in tired smiles.

"Hello, gentlemen, and just how are the both of you doing today? It most certainly has been a long time since the 'Nostradamus' case."

"Oh, cut it out with the polite crap, _L_. We know why you're here; they wouldn't have sent us otherwise." The first man spoke; dark blonde hair unevenly cut, raggedly shading the man's sharp forest green eyes as he smirked in L's direction. The second man, who simply nodded at both L and Watari, was taller and much broader than the first, brown eyes easily matching his receding brown hair as he stoically stood beside his partner.

"Fair enough. Where are the NYPD officers in charge of this investigation?" L quickly asked as the other men led the way. They entered the building of the airport itself, the detective slouching forward as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"Not here?"

"That is not a funny joke. Now please answer the question."

The blonde rolled his eyes, as both he and the other man showed their badges to the security guard they now faced. The names "Walter Clemens", which was printed on the blonde man's badge and "Samuel Lacy", which was inscribed on the others', shone clearly against the artificial light of the building alongside the letters _F.B.I_. "There still at the crime scene. To be quite frank, I'm surprised you even took this case. I'm sure there are others that must be calling your attention more than some freak fan on a homicidal rampage."

"Do not concern yourself with my reasons for being here. Simply take me to the hotel the musicians are being kept at and keep your comments to yourself."

"Wait, what did you just say?" The blonde, now known as Clemens, stated as they reached the front of the terminals. "Did you just say 'Take you to the hotel'? As in, bring you to the actual crime scene?"

Lacy rolled his eyes as he grabbed his partner and pulled him forward. "I'm pretty sure that's what he just said, genius. We'll get you there in no time flat, sir."

L nodded as the other men proceeded to get him situated inside the car parked in front of him, the dark haired detective glancing towards Watari as he tilted his head to the side.

'Soon I will be able to get to see your face in person…' The raccoon eyed detective thought in glee as sat down in his normal precarious position and vacantly stared at a spot on the car seat in front of him. 'A potentially good case and a beautiful young man with a voice like an angel who is quite possibly being stalked and victimized. An excellent reason to meet the infamous 'Light', if nothing else. What could possibly go wrong?'

Ebony eyes widened as cheeks flushed with excitement.

L couldn't wait.

* * *

There weren't very many times Raito could say he felt frightened and cornered.

"Light… Light… Hm. That's the English pronunciation of your given name, correct?" Raito nodded absently as the balding man continued to scribble something on his notepad, barely glancing in the singer's direction as he continued to throw out useless questions.

He considered this a small exception he could omit in future references.

"And your full name is Raito Yagami, right?" The officer spoke with a blasé expression on his face as the teenage brunette quietly sat in the same corner he had been sitting since the police had first entered his hotel room, a blank expression carefully forced onto his face.

"Yeah…" The 17-year-old answered with a slight reservation, clutching onto the small piece of paper in hand. He had half a mind to write a song about all of this…

But now really wasn't the time.

"You're the lead singer, right? Wow, my 14-year-old daughter just loves your songs, by the way." The officer finally grinned down at the teen, unconsciously lowering his notepad so that it was set within Raito's line of vision.

Eyes scanned the various notes on the paper as the older man with a balding head and a beer belly continued to speak to Raito as if three murders had not taken place, all of them crowned with lyrics _he_ had written. "I think she owns all your albums! Hell, her room is covered completely with your damn posters too, now that I think about it!"

**Name: Raito Yagami**

**Status: Lead Singer of Moonlight; In U.S. with set Visa**

**Age: 17**

**Description: Short brown hair, brown eyes, slender build, about 5 feet, 10 inches. Of Asian descent.**

**Suspect Probability: Possible **

**Found: Lying on hotel bed, shirtless and half asleep.**

**Date and Time Found: October 5, 2004; 01:56 a.m.**

**Alibi: None**

**Time Set in Crime Scene: Around the hours 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.**

Raito's eyes narrowed as the small scribbles ended there, the detective obviously not putting much effort into 'interrogating' him. 'So I might be a suspect, huh? Idiots… as if I would be so obvious if I went on a sudden killing spree…'

"And sometimes, it's like she won't shut up about your songs! I've got to admit, it ain't my cup of iced tea, but she sure is attached to 'em!" Raito managed to conjure up a half-hearted smile as the man rambled about God knows what, his face scrunching up in a glare once he turned around and spoke with another detective.

'What to do, what to do…'

The singer's eye's brightened as he looked over at the open window, the fire escape invitingly calling him over within his own head. An idea began to formulate within his brilliant mind.

'If I do this, I may just be digging myself deeper in this mess,' Raito thought to himself as he stared at the outside world, a place he had yet to visit in more than two days and some hours. 'But I can't stay here a moment longer. I need to go home or I think I may just lose my mind!'

"Sir?" Raito quietly called out to the detective still jabbering on, eyes instantaneously roaming back to the musician in custody. "Is it alright if I use the bathroom?"

"Sure. C'mon, I'll have to take you to a different room."

Raito smirked to himself as he stood up, the other officer continuing in his inspection of the suite Raito had been occupying. A plan fully pieced itself together within the younger man's mind as he quietly followed the detective, his hands clenching into fists.

'And if all of you are as idiotic as you seem, you'll never even see it coming…'

* * *

"And you say he's been missing for over three hours?!" Clemens screamed into the cell phone as the car tumbled rather uncomfortably. L stared blankly at the FBI agent in front of him as a dumbfounded expression overcame his aging face. "Then why are you only calling to inform us of his absence _now_, you bunch of idiots!"

L chewed on the appendage settled over his lips as he tilted his head to the side, contemplating on the situation at hand. 'It seems that 'Light', as he is called by his many adoring fans, is not just a pretty face. Escaping captivity and managing to cover his tracks in less than three hours time is no easy feat…'

"Alright… alright… we'll be there in less than a half an hour. Put out a search bulletin over every police radio within the entire Manhattan vicinity and make sure to let everyone just who it is _specifically _we are searching for." L pulled his thumb out of his mouth, his attention re-focusing on the people around him.

"Does 'Light' have a place of residence within the Manhattan area?" L asked in a rather bored manner.

Lacy nodded, reclining back within his seat. "Yeah. About eight blocks away from the hotel. From what the band members have told the other officers at the scene, the only reason they didn't 'crash' at his place was simply because he adamantly refused to have them in his home. He even went as far as to book himself in the same place so they wouldn't go chasing after him."

"But that doesn't matter!" Clemens cried out as he pocketed his phone within his trench coat. "They've had police searching the complex from the moment it was noticed that he was missing, and so far nothing has come up! It's like he's disappeared from all sight!"

"Never the less…" L stalled as he lazily stared out the car window, once again drifting within the vast percentages and complex theories circling his inner thoughts. "I would like to be brought to this apartment building myself."

"What? Why?" Lacy asked, interrupting his partner before he could go on another of his annoying tangents. "How would that help with the case?"

"For one, it would help determine whether or not anyone else has been in his apartment from the time he has been there, which I will need documentation of, to now." L explained, his monotone voice barely even echoing within the rumble of the car's engine. "And secondly, just in case he does manage to go back to his apartment, I would rather be there than permit another officer to allow him to slip through our fingers once again."

"Why do I think your reasons are less than pure?" Clemens announced as Watari gently coughed within his hand, trying to hide his smile without success. L glared at them both.

"He is officially a suspect for these crimes, and as such, I will be treating him with the same unbiased as any other potential criminal or murderer. Now, please drop me off at the specified location and keep such comments to yourself."

"Sure… you keep telling yourself that, L." Lacy smirked as Clemens quietly snickered.

L frowned at the two before turning away from the FBI agents. 'Whoever I decide to surveillance is my own business, damn it!'

'_Surveillance or stalk? Kind of a fine line if you ask me…'_

'Oh, who asked you?' The three greatest detectives in the world, otherwise known as L, grumbled within his own mind as he silenced his own thoughts. At this rate, he would be going mad in no time flat.

"Watari?" L's eyebrow twitched underneath the onyx fringe falling over his eyes as the older man silently nodded his full attention on L once again. "I would also like for you to bring all the equipment that was discussed upon on the flight here and set it up in 'Light's' apartment."

"Why do I not like the sound of that…" The older of the two officers mumbled under his breath, the grin on Clemen's own face growing exponentionally as a result.

"Lacy? Be quiet and drive."

Lacy sighed as Clemens' snickering evolved into full out chuckles.

"Yes sir."

This Light fellow was must certainly doomed, especially now that he had managed to catch the attention of the most intelligent, and _obsessive_, detective in the world.

'Godspeed, Light. Godspeed…'

* * *

"_Rai-chan!" _

"_Yes?!" _

"_Have you seen your little sister?"_

"_No!" _

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Yes!" _

"_Alright… keep an eye out for her, alright dear? We still have to go dress shopping for your grandmother's birthday." _

"_Yes, mother!"_

_A rustle beneath his mountain of disheveled covers made Raito roll his russet brown eyes as a small head made of pigtails and flushed cheeks peeked over the sheets. "Thanks onii-chan. I owe you one." _

"_Of course you do." The 12-year-old pointed out arrogantly as he swung back around and continued writing in his journal. _

"_What are you writing, onii-chan?" Sayu's cutely confused face didn't faze Raito in the least as she hopped off the bed and skipped to over to her older brother, who sat protectively in front of his writings. "Nothing." _

"_Please tell me!" Sayu grinned precociously. "I'll give you a coo-kie…" _

"_You know I don't like sweets all that much." _

"_How about some po-ta-to chips?"_

"_Tempting, but no."_

"_Aw…"_

_Puppy Dog Eyes of Sisterly Doom._

"_Sayu, if I show you one page, will you stop looking at me as if I just killed your puppy?"_

_Eyes widening in deviousness, Sayu innocently grinned. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rai-chan. But I wouldn't mind taking a glimpse…" _

"_Fine. Here." The young man passed his notebook over to the young girl, her eyes squinting at the words on the page as they came into focus. "On second thought… why don't you read them to me?"_

"_What?! No." _

"_Raito, don't you want to give your words more justice than that?" _

_The small boy snatched the notebook away from his little sister's hands as he cleared his throat and looked down at the page. _

"_**I wonder if **_

_**I had given you my all-**_

_**Would that have been enough?**_

_**It's times like these**_

_**I've come to understand**_

_**How much my self-value is actually worth…**_

_**It's just another mystery **_

_**Wrapped around another hollow shell. **_

_**Once the truth is uncovered,**_

_**What will there be left to tell?**_

_**I've got to grab onto**_

_**The last of my vanishing self-control. **_

_**If nothing else, **_

_**I have fallen**_

_**Past the point of no return."**_

"_That's it so far." Raito commented as he put down the notebook, not noticing the star struck look in his sister's eyes. _

'_Woah…' Sayu thought to herself, her young mind trying to grasp onto the feeling that had overcome her at the sound of Raito's smooth voice relaying his equally tantalizing lyrics. _

"_Rai-chan is most definitely going to be a star." She stated without a moment's hesitation. "And he'll have people following him everywhere and always v-v-VYING for his attention!" _

_Raito grinned to himself as he continued to write, steadily ignoring his sister's presence from behind his shoulder. _

'_I know.'_

* * *

Dark shadows encased him as he continued to watch the 17-year-old musician run down the streets of New York. A different set of clothes and headwear hung off his body as Yagami Raito made it to his apartment building, managing to sneak past the dimwitted officers to reach the entrance.

'Morons… don't even deserve to be in his breathing space…'

More thoughts of this nature crawled within his head as the man walked away from the apartment building in a huff, a notebook cradled lovingly between his arms.

'But don't worry, Rai-chan…'

He smirked as another car pulled up to the building, a familiar figure stepping out of the car in all his slouched glory.

"_**I'm watching you…"**_

A piece of paper with familiar small letterings fell out of his hand, blowing alongside the breeze as the shadow melted away into the darkness the buildings of New York had to offer.

* * *

"I will go upstairs."

"Of course, L. I will go get the equipment ready."

"Good. On my call, you may proceed to begin installing everything you need to."

"I will see you later?"

"Naturally. And thank the owner of the apartment building for his assistance on the matter."

L began to trudge up the stairs of the dim lighted hallways, not even casting a second glance in Watari's direction.

"Not to intrude, L…" Watari's voice suddenly stopped him mid-step. "But what do you plan to do once you meet the poor boy?"

L mulled over the question for a moment, before answering in typical L fashion and continuing his trek up the stairs.

"Whatever I wish to."

* * *

'Deep breaths, Raito, deep breaths…' Raito thought to himself as multiple cops entered and exited his apartment…

Or should he say, his apartment _on that floor_.

Oh, the joys of being filthy rich.

The young man entered the stairwell, completely dismissing the elevator altogether. Thankfully, he had another apartment licensed under a completely different name, two floors above him. As he climbed the dark stairwell, thoughts continued to run through his head, the previous two nights flashing by in a sudden blur.

'Who could be doing this to me? Why would they even want to?! God… even L is on this case. I **should** call my father again, and see what he says. Probably call me a complete and utter idiot for leaving my designated area, but still. I couldn't stay there…'

Mocha colored eyes drowsily blinked as Raito opened the entrance to his floor and dragged himself to his door, quickly unlocking the door to one of his multiple homes and shutting and locking it as quickly as possible.

Without giving it a second thought, Raito began to shed off his attire piece by piece, shakily removing the dirty barriers of cloth. By the time he made it to his bathroom, he was completely nude and ready for a shower.

Trembling hands turned at the knobs, hot water pouring down in rivers of steaming liquid. Raito stepped into the heated water, skin turning pink from the intense change in temperature. The young man leaned against the cool tile of his shower walls, nodding off in pure exhaustion.

'Only I could have this kind of hellish week…'

_**Click.**_

"Huh?"

Raito blinked as his bathroom door quietly squeaked open, footsteps carrying themselves toward his shower, the thin shower curtain outlining the shape of person, whom Raito could only assume was a man. Eyes widened as a hand appeared on the side of the curtain, before Raito rushed forward without thinking and threw himself on top of the body in front of him.

"OOMPH!"

"Who are you, and how the fuck did you get inside my apartment you sick psycho!"

A pale hand, covered in a long white sleeve, jingled a set of keys within the person's long spidery fingers.

"Your proprietor…" A deep baritone voice, wheezing at sheer force of the sudden collision, answered the young man, his face obscured by the shower curtain around the both of them. "Gave them to me… case…"

"Err…"

"You are ((gasp)) Yagami Raito, ((gasp)) correct?"

"I…"

"I see. It is as I thought. Considering there was almost no substantial information on record of an 'Alexander Torentino', there was a 68 percent chance that you, Yagami Raito, also known as 'Light', would be the one to own this apartment."

"Who _are _you?"

"If you would kindly get off of me, I would gladly introduce myself."

"Uh…" Raito looked down at his state of undress. "Just let me get a towel."

The man below him coughed. "Of course, Yagami-san."

Raito quickly covered his lower half, wincing at the Japanese formality, not noticing the other man standing up and pushing the shower curtain off his lanky limbs. "I-"

"You may call me Ryuuga Hideki, Yagami-san." The singer turned around, blinking in shock. Unruly inky hair hung around ebony eyes, sags of black hanging down from obvious lack of sleep. A thin pale face stared gauntly at the almost completely naked teen, eyes roaming his own figure as Raito stared at the faded baggy blue jean and huge long sleeve white shirt that almost swallowed the other man's skinny body altogether. "And I am here on behalf of L. He has decided to take this case, as it has taken his interest."

"Huh… L?"

"Yes."

"He took the case… because of the murders?"

"Yes."

"And you're representing him, why?"

"Because he chose me to."

"Yes, but why you _in particular_?"

"I am his handy man."

"I'm sure. So why did this case strike his attention when there are plenty others that I'm sure are much more interesting? And why tell me about it? I'm sure I'm a suspect, and it would be pretty idiotic to tell one of your suspects off the bat that you're investigating them, let alone that _L _is the one doing the investigating..."

"Does Yagami-san usually ask so many questions?"

"Hm..."

Raito gave the man a piercing stare as mahogany eyes examined every piece of the person in front of him.

"… … … … You're L, aren't you?"

And all the older man could do was stare blankly at the extremely talented musical artist as Raito strolled forward... and poked him in the forehead.

"And you are most definitely into guys if the way you keep staring at my crotch is any indication."

For the first time in L's life, he could honestly say he was struck.

And if this was any indication... he was going to stay this way for a long time to come.

* * *

Lol! Not lacking in arrogance, are ya Light-o. XD Many thanks to Kitsune55 for beta-ing this chapter, and many thanks to you guys for reading! By the by, if you get a chance, check out my new one-shot, "Waiting for the Rain". Personally, I think I'm in love with it. But that's just me. See you guys soon!


	4. The Truest Words to Say

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Four: _The Truest Words to Say_

* * *

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…_"

Eyes laden with a scarlet glow ignored the grating laugh behind them. Tossing an apple over a clothed shoulder, those same eyes stared down at the paper in front of them, pen poised dutifully in the owner's pale white hand.

Thoughts of a certain someone touching _what was __**his**_ swirled around in the man's head as he continued glaring down at the blank page, hand itching to write down a name…

"Did you do what I told you to?"

"_Yeah… he's probably reading it now, for all we know._"

A smirk settled over the man's twisted lips as he settled the pen down and leaned back against his chair. Ebony hair messily shadowed the man's crimson eyes, a small note of satisfaction gleaming within his chest.

"_Do you think this plan of yours is really gonna work?_"

The man stayed silent, simply smirking down at the notebook in front of him.

'My eyes are everywhere, Yagami Raito...'

Fingers lightly traced the keyboard next to them, as the computer screen flashed a picture of Raito's face smirking slightly at the figure across from it, a small sinister smile curling around the man's pale lips.

'Where are yours?'

* * *

"Yagami-san is very presumptuous." Dark eyes falsely narrowed as the young man smirked in his direction.

"I get the feeling you like that, _L_."

'Like that? I think that is an understatement…' L's eyes raked in the young man's figure as he enticingly leaned back against the sink, curtains still lying half-hazardously on the floor.

"Please do not call me that, Yagami-san. I have already told you, my name is-"

"Don't give me that crap. I'm not an idiot so don't treat me like one."

Smooth silky skin. Smooth… silky… skin… Damn it, it was all L could stare at!

'I wonder if he's as tasty as he looks…'

Focus, L, focus!

Right…

Focus.

"It's cute how you're trying to seem so uninterested. But…" Raito languidly leaned his elbows back on the bathroom counter. "It's really not working. Why don't you just tell me what you want and leave me the hell alone?"

'It should be illegal to look that good while still being bitchy.' L thought as he felt his long fingers twitch within his pockets.

"Yagami-san is both arrogant and irritating." L stated as he brought one hand out of his pocket and placed it in his mouth. "Yet, I must ask. What led Yagami-san to assume that I was L?"

Raito rolled his eyes, strolling over to the shaggy haired detective.

'Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, OH GOD, HE'S IN MY PERSONAL BUBBLE! EEK!'

Of course, L's face stayed as blank as ever, inner-pandemonium aside.

"First off, your clothes."

"My clothes?"

"No investigator would come near a suspect, as I'm sure I am one, looking as if he just got out of a hobo-shop."

"Hobo-shop?"

"Your hair."

"…"

"Looks as if a bird just nestled in it and called it a day. Think if I took out some bird food, we'd get to see some bird-action?"

"Yagami-san is cruel."

"The way you talk…"

"Yes?"

"You speak as if you don't know what you're going to say before hand."

"And? Besides being slightly insulting, I do not see how that proves I am L."

"Your eyes say differently, is all."

"My eyes, you say? Yagami-san is very perceptive."

"Hm."

"That, and very gay himself, if the past conversation is anything to go by."

"And your point is?"

Oh, today was L's best day ever.

"Nothing. I was just attempting to indicate that his sexuality seems to be equally in question to my own is all."

"Congratulations. You've managed to do that quite nicely. Now will you stop staring at me as if you wish to eat me?"

Raito smirked slyly as L blinked sluggishly, still staring straight at Raito's unclothed chest. "Or, did you come here with the intention to just stare at me and pretend you're somebody else, or are you going to talk about the murders?"

"I was trying to get to that." L stated rather dryly, still eyeing the young man like a hawk. (For detective purposes, of course) "I do have many questions to ask Yagami-san."

"Of course you do." Raito brushed back his damp bangs and grinned at the 'anonymous' detective, strolling out of the bathroom in a queenly manner. "I would like to know why you keep calling me Yagami-san when we're nowhere near Japan. Formalities are unnecessary here, you know?"

"I figured Yagami-san would appreciate the sentiment."

"Well… I don't. So stop it, _L-san_."

L's eye twitched.

"I see your point. I suppose you would like me to call you by your 'stage name'-"

"I thought that was a given."

"But I think I like the Japanese pronunciation a lot better. Raito… It is missing something though…"

"Light is just fine, considering you speak English so damn well-"

"Raito-kun!"

The edgy look the young singer gave the insomniac detective could cut through ice.

"Ok, first off, I thought we gave up on the formalities."

L tilted his head to the side, placing his thumb in between his lips as he put his hand on the bathroom doorknob.

"But it sounds so _kawaii_."

Raito sighed irritably as he crossed his arms over his bare chest. (Oh God, I wanna piece of that! L thought to himself) "You are sore loser, you know that?"

"I do not know what you mean, Raito-kun." Big innocent (fake) eyes stared back at the musician as he held in the impulse to tackle the sexy man onto the ground and tie him up somewhere. (Specifically, in the bedroom on top of the younger man's bed.)

"Yeah, sure. Anyways…" Both men walked out of the bathroom, Raito steadily ignoring the blank stare L continued to give him as he chewed on one of his thumbs. "So what do you… want… to… talk about?"

Watari blinked as a wire hanging out of one of his hands swung to and fro, Raito gazing at him with wide eyes.

"Ah… Hello." The older man stated, taking in Raito's less than clothed state… and L's reaction to Raito's less than clothed state. "I see you two are… bonding well."

Raito's eye twitched at the insinuation.

"Bonding isn't the word, Mr...?" Raito questioned, his fingers twitching in agitation.

'Not just one strange man in my house, but two.' The famous brunette grudgingly groaned inside his mind. 'How lucky am I? Now all I need is the psychotic stalker chasing me down to be here and I'll be brimming with crazies!'

"I see. Watari is fine, Mr. Yagami."

Raito's eye twitched once again.

'Is privacy no longer an availability here?!' He almost shouted at the two, yet Raito knew it would get him nowhere.

Watari knelt back down onto the floor and finished what he was doing before getting up and eyeing the two men rather wearily. "I suppose… I shall see you at a later time, Ryuuga. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Yagami."

The white haired man quickly scuttled out of the room in a hurry, not even glancing twice at the two other men inside the room. A molten sepia gaze nearly caught the older of the two on fire as L waltzed into the living room and sat down, legs pulled up to his chest in a classic rendition of a children's sitting position.

"You wired my house." Raito deadpanned.

'He certainly catches on quickly.' L thought to himself as he subtly smirked in between his thumb.

"And if I did?" The detective was truly intrigued by the boy's amazing deduction skills.

"Well then I guess it's safe to assume that you put up camera's in all of my rooms as well?" Raito fingered his drying locks as he rolled his up towards the ceiling and huffily sighed through his nose. "And will continue to put up more from the looks of it… right?"

"Hm."

That smirk had still not removed itself off L's face.

"Is it alright if I go into my room and finally put on some clothes, or do you have camera's set up in there, too?!"

"Would it stop you if I did?"

"You… are a pervert."

"And Raito-kun is an exhibitionist, so it all works out in the end."

"Does that get you off?"

"Would it bother Raito-kun if it did?"

"For someone who isn't attracted to me, you sure have the whole 'perverted stalker' thing set up to a tee."

"It is all for Raito-kun's safety, I assure you."

Raito turned to the older man in question, his face gaining a stoic quality to it. "You don't believe I had anything to do with those murders, do you?"

L's smirk slowly slid off his face as he examined the younger of the two rather extensively. The tension in Raito's features was cleverly subdued, but it was still there nevertheless. And those eyes…

L knew what the eyes of a murderer looked like.

"Raito-kun is not completely cleared of suspicion, but he will be monitored nonetheless. This shall not be an inconvenience, yes?"

Raito rolled his eyes before he stepped into his room, shutting the door without another word.

The dark haired detective simply pulled out a laptop that lay underneath the coffee table and quickly switched it onto the cameras that lay throughout the bedroom (two for now) and watched the superstar through both perspectives.

'It's good to be a powerful detective with fast working lackeys and unlimited connections to spy equipment…'

* * *

_Raito eyed the phone in his hand once more, the hotel walls closing in on him within his own mind as the urge to call his father once more invaded his subconscious. _

'_Why won't you leave me alone…'_

_The young artist threw the note onto the ground in a fit of rage, the crumpled words replaying in his mind. _

_Eyes closed as the brunette collapsed on top of his bed and sighed, tension encasing his entire being. _

"_I can't take this anymore." _

* * *

Raito scowled as the feeling of being watched intensified, the knowledge that his room was now laced with cameras not lost on the poor boy.

'Whoever has done this will most definitely pay…'

Though the world's most famous detective, who was most likely watching the footage at this moment in time, was up there as well when it came to thoughts of revenge.

'Damn pervert.'

And who would have thought the great detective 'L' was a big fruity pervert, who was not only a bad liar, but had stalking fetishes and enjoyed teenage pop music?

'Thank God I didn't go into detective work with my dad…'

Raito would have probably killed the man if he had met him in a different setting outside of this bizarre one.

The young brunette proceeded to pull a light blue tee shirt over his head before grabbing a pair of boxers and pulling them on with relish.

'Well, if he's going to watch, might as well put on a good show.' Raito thought laughingly to himself, his entertainer-mentality shining through in spades.

He strolled over to his dresser, yanking out a pair of lounge pants, when a small piece of white paper lying quite innocently next to his multiple skin care products caught his always discerning eye.

A feeling quite reminiscent to panic settled in his chest.

'It can't be…'

Raito candidly picked the strip of paper up between two fingers and brought it up to his sight, his heart pounding within his throat in suspense.

'But with my luck, of course it is.'

* * *

"_I just need something… deeper." _

_Raito stared up at the ceiling, eyes glazed over in concentration. Darkness encased the room as the russet haired singer lay by himself in the solidarity of his room, words rolling off his tongue without him noticing. _

"_I feel like I'm empty inside and yet…" Raito rolled over, a large space beside him on the queen sized bed mocking him as he spoke. "I can't seem to find someone who can make me feel something **more**." _

_A small black leather-bound notebook lay on his night table, open to a blank page with a small ball point pen on top of it. Raito stretched his arm out, hand trembling slightly from an emotion he could not name. _

"_Maybe I can purge this out of me." A raspy whisper unrecognizable to Raito's own ears rang forgotten in the vestiges of his mind as he sat up and laid the notebook on his lap and gingerly picked up the pen, already losing himself to the words swirling in his never resting mind. _

"_Maybe…" _

'_Or maybe I can at least fill this void inside…' _

_Little by little, words filled the paper as a bittersweet melody began to crawl within his ears. A light humming encased the silence of the room and took Raito away from the cold emptiness he could never seem to shed. _

"_Hm, hm, hm…" _

"_**Tomorrow never knows, but now**_

_**I don't have any hesitations-**_

_**Like the wings that get lost in the sunny sky…**_

_**Good bye... thank you...**_

_**Because you are here,**_

_**I can start walking**_

_**On the path leading to the future.**_

_**I believe that**_

_**My dreams can come true..."**_

"_Huh." _

_Raito stared down at the words, pleased with himself so far. A smile lay unwittingly on the boy's lush lips as the never-ending questions floating around in his mind lay forgotten, at least, for now. _

* * *

L's eyes widened, the bags under them emphasized by the sudden shift in size as Raito stumbled backwards, a small piece of paper clutched tightly in his possession.

"What is that?" The spindly detective asked himself as Raito quickly sat down on the bed, his chin down to his collarbone.

Caramel brown eyes closed as a shuddered sigh escaped those beautiful lips L so loved to stare at, the closet fan's own hands beginning to clench themselves.

"L…" The dark haired man pursed his lips as the name came out unbidden (once again), but listened to the smooth tenor voice as Raito continued to speak. "I think you need to look at this."

L slowly pulled the laptop off his person and slouched forward off the couch, his blank façade not hinting towards the unmistakable anticipation that lay underneath.

The detective's pale hand pulled the knob forward and shuffled into the room, the intense stare Raito gave off immediately focusing on him as he calmly walked to the bed and stood in front of the anxious looking musician.

"Raito-kun…?"

"Here." The younger of the two shoved the note into L's awaiting hands, plopping down backwards onto the bed as ebony eyes quickly scanned the tiny lettering on the small piece of paper.

_**Wishes of agony**_

_**Trapping my faltering self-control**_

_**Grasping the last of my sanity**_

_**As dreams of your flesh finally take its toll…**_

_**Wishes of torment**_

_**Floating through my mind**_

_**By the end of my plight**_

_**You will be mine.**_

"Is this the first note you have received?"

Raito said nothing, closing his eyes in a flutter of blinks.

"Raito-kun?"

"What do you think that note means?" Raito asked quietly, his eyes still shut.

"I should think that is quite obvious, Raito-kun."

L dropped the note against the bed, leaning down over Raito's prone body in a fit of whimsy.

"Is Raito-kun scared?"

Honey brown slowly opened, L's face merely inches away from Raito's own. A small moment of silence lay between the two men as one gazed down at the other, trying to ponder the secrets that lay within those chocolate depths.

Raito stayed silent, closing his eyes once again and puffing out a breath of air.

"Read the last part to me again, please."

L smirked as Raito once again avoided one of his questions, plucking the note up with two scrupulous fingers and holding it rather close to his face.

"Wishes of torment… Floating through my mind… By the end of my plight… You will be mine. It seems Raito-kun definitely has his share of deranged admirers."

L ignored the snort the 17-year-old gave at his expense.

"I suppose Raito-kun shall need a bit more surveillance than just cameras and constant monitoring…"

"Don't go there."

"Raito-kun-"

"Who are you really fooling here?"

"I just think-"

"N-O; no!"

"Raito-kun is being stubborn."

"We've only known each other for about a half an hour and you want to live with me. I think that me being stubborn is only to be expected, Mr. I'm-not-L-but-I-like-to-act-like-I-am-because-I-really-am-him."

"Hm… I suppose you are correct to be worried. Yet I believe that my word overrides Raito-kun's nonetheless."

"You're insane. For all I know, **you're **doing this to me."

"No, this person is insane. I am trying to be protective. And trust me Raito-kun, if I wanted to stalk you, I would not be so obvious about it."

"Oh dear Lord, I can't win with you, can I?"

"No, Raito-kun, you cannot." L stuck a thumb in between his lips as he nibbled on the digit delightfully. "And quite frankly, I doubt you ever will."

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own "MICHISHIRUBE" by Miyamoto Shunichi, which was an awesome request by my beta, Kitsune55. She's on fire with these damn songs! XD The note, of course, was my own words. Yay?

Here's the next chapter! Many thanks to Kitsune55 for beta-ing (And look, the scene is out! Hopefully, the one I put in is a lot better!) and thanks to you guys for reading! See ya soon!


	5. The End of the Beginning

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Five: _The End of the Beginning _

* * *

"We could be bunk buddies." L suggested as Raito shook his head, the light emanating from the moon the only thing illuminating the spacious bedroom as the detective crouched on one side of the bed, while the singer lay on the other.

"There are so many things wrong with that sentence I don't even know where to start."

"Why does Raito-kun say that?" The raccoon-eyed man queried, intrigued by the sudden tonal shift in the younger man's voice.

Raito stared at the detective for a moment, wondering just why he seemed to attract all the crazies within a fifty foot radius. "Well for one thing, I don't have any bunk beds to share with you, ya weirdo."

"So?"

L's eyes widened just a fraction as a small smile unknowingly perched itself on his lips.

Raito on the other hand looked quite disturbed.

"What?" The detective tilted his head to the side, not noticing the intensely creepy look he was sending Raito's way.

'Or for all I know he **does** and just wants to make me feel as uncomfortable as possible.' The weary brunette thought to himself as he unconsciously leaned back away from the aforementioned raven-haired man.

"You are such a pervert." The world famous musician deadpanned.

"What does Raito-kun mean? He does not seriously think I lack such self-control, does he?" L inquired, a thumb methodically placed on his mouth as he watched the younger man eye him strangely.

"You're not seriously asking me that, are you?" The younger brunette shook his head as he laid his body down on the bed, exhaustion finally catching up to him in the worst of ways. "You have cameras set up all around my apartment, you continuously watch me off said cameras, AND you want not only to live with me, but sleep in the same room and bed as me. Need I go on, Geraldo, or is that enough to convince you that you're a huge pervert with a stalking fetish?"

"Geraldo?"

"Like Geraldo Rivera. See the thing is, you're both equally as lame."

"Ah. That is most definitely the first time I've ever been compared to such a… 'lame' person." L tapped a finger to his cheek, giving Raito an incredulous glare. "Perhaps Raito-kun is mistaken."

"Maybe to your face they haven't said anything." Raito quipped. "Behind your back, you never know…"

"Ha ha. Raito-kun is a comedian."

"Actually, I'm a singer." Raito winked. "And a pretty sexy one if I do say so myself."

'YAY! HE WINKED AT ME!' L thought to himself, cursing his inner fan-boy.

'Stop it, damn it!'

"Either way, Raito-kun, that does not matter. What does matter is making sure you are safe and out of harm's way. If I have to be here to ensure this-" L ignored Raito's spontaneous coughing fit. "then it will be done."

"Because you're a pervert."

"Because I am a per-wait, no."

"Wait… yes."

L sighed.

This boy was going to be the death of him.

* * *

Watari, also known as Quillsh Whammy to those special few with whom he chose to confide, sighed to himself as voices continued to escalate, L's own voice actually managing to raise just a few decibels louder than before.

He didn't know if he should be worried or relieved.

The older man had been actually happy once he had learnt about his charge's interest in the musical group Moonlight, considering L usually showed such a blatant disinterest to everything around him. As a child, L had been the picture perfect example of apathy.

That had obviously not changed in the years the boy had grown into a young man.

If anything, age and experience had made L colder, more precise in both his reasoning abilities and his capacity for holding in his emotions. This aloof attitude was all well and good when it came to the line of detective work, yet looking at it through the eyes of a parent…

Watari had to hold in a cringe of disappointment.

'This Yagami boy…' Watari sighed as he connected a few more wires, silently placing more cameras in the overall facility of the apartment. 'He has affected L more in the last couple of hours he has known him than anyone else in L's entire existence. Even…'

"Even me." The older man whispered, a slight smile sent the door's way.

"_Don't come near me with that thing!"_

"_But Raito-kun, it is not as if you have never seen a naked man before."_

"…"

"_What?"_

"_Oh, stop it and put some pants on. I swear I get stuck with all the psychotic wannabe rapists…" _

Watari sweat dropped as he finished the wiring left in his momentary absence and began carefully checking the cameras to make sure they were all online.

"_Raito-kun definitely appeals to the eye when his silent and lying down in bed." _

"_God damn it, will you stop!"_

"_Will Raito-kun at least scoot over?" _

"_NO!"_

Except for the ones in the bedroom.

"_Please? I promise not to hog the blankets."_

"_That's not what I'm afraid of, you creepy tree-hugger." _

"_Raito-kun is now pulling things out of his behind."_

"_I'm sure that's what you're imagining at this moment regardless." _

"…"

"_See?! I knew it! Stop thinking about my ass before I start screaming rape!"_

L could handle the bedroom.

* * *

'What's my next move…'

Eyes hooded by shady bangs closed as the creature by the man's window began to fidget in boredom.

"_I'm booooored…" _

The man ignored the Shinigami, instead concentrating on his next course of action. Pale fingers began an intricate rhythm against the desk beneath them, his hands just itching to pick up a pen and write another name.

'L is with him now… that will certainly make things a lot more _**interesting**_ to say the least.' Fingers immediately halted at the thought, adrenaline pumping through his veins as memories began to flood forth uninterrupted.

"_Apples… I want apples… and excitement… but mostly just apples…" _

"Don't you ever shut up for more than five minutes at a time?" The coarse voice echoed throughout the small room, eyes snapping open in malevolence.

"_I'll shut up if you get me some apples." _

"There's some on the table in the kitchen if you had had the intelligence to _look._" The dark haired man snapped, standing up from his chair and making his way to one of his many drawers. Items lay scattered in all places, drawers banging simultaneously as the mysterious man searched for the item he had suddenly seemed to have lost.

"Where is it…?" A frown marred the man's face as he clenched his jaw, a visible twitch accentuating the man's cheek in frustration.

Hands suddenly groped a familiar smooth surface, a smirk evident on the man's face now that he had found what he had been looking for.

"Found you."

A dark leather covering met the owner's crimson gaze, pages inside the binding stained yellow in age as a bony hand flipped through the small notebook filled with messy scrawl.

'In more ways than one…'

"Let's see how long it takes…" Scarlet eyes began to glow once more as the monstrous being entered the room once more, interest piqued at the strange smile perched on the man's ghostly visage. "Before you realize just who you are dealing with, L."

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…" _

Things just got a whole lot interesting for the Shinigami, his own decrepit smile widening just that much further.

"_I like the sound of that…" _

* * *

"Hm…"

L studied the note in front of him, two fingers placing the small piece of paper merely inches away from his face.

"This is strange."

"What? That a psychotic fan is sending me random, yet seemingly threatening, notes and managing to sneak into my private property and put them in places they know I'll find them beforehand? Wow…" Raito leaned forward, elbows on the table and still dressed in his pajamas just having woken up. "You sure are some detective, L."

"There is no point in correcting you, is there?" L ignored the sarcasm completely, his obsidian orbs blankly staring into the singer's own cinnamon brown gaze as Raito shrugged, a smirk overcoming his cherry stained lips.

"You could if it made you feel better, though I wouldn't expect an automatic change of heart or anything ridiculous like that."

L was starting to hate that smug little grin.

"What I meant was," L continued once again, returning back to his original observations. "That it was strange that this person left you a _handwritten_ note."

"So?"

"So… they must know that the police is going to infer this back to the murders." L turned his seemingly empty gaze back to the small scrap of paper within his fingers, analyzing every line and stroke. "This person is either incredibly arrogant, or incredibly stupid. And sense we have seen nothing to imply who the person may be evidence-wise in any of the crime scenes so far, I can only conclude that whoever is behind all of this is intelligent as well. Seemingly, a step ahead of the both of us if all of this is any indication."

"I guess that rules out incredibly stupid then." Raito muttered as he picked up his cup of coffee, the morning sun's rays shining through his kitchen's windows.

"Yes Raito-kun. Unfortunately, it does."

'Yet this handwriting…'

L carefully peered at the tiny letters, a heady familiarity scratching in the back of his mind. If only L could remember…

'Why does this look so familiar?'

"L?" Raito blinked as the detective turned his attention back to the young man he had internally sworn to protect, eyes as blank as ever.

"Yes Raito-kun?" The detective just gave up in ever hoping to get the younger man to call him by his alias. Even if he the young singer did, L knew it would be in a condescending manner.

From what he could tell, it was Raito's favorite tone of voice thus far.

"… … It's nothing." Raito said nothing more as he brought his cup to the sink and walked out of the room, once again heading towards the bedroom.

L did not even hesitate to bring out the laptop that lie underneath the table and turn it on.

* * *

_Raito growled as he slammed his door, another day spent anxiously waiting for a phone call that didn't seem like it was ever going to come. _

'_Another day of waiting…' _

_The dark night sky contrasted perfectly with the barely there sparkles the stars had to offer, the musician's chestnut locks swaying from the breeze of his open window. A hand swept the swinging tresses away from his face, a hidden frustration laid heavy over his heart. _

"_How long do I have to wait for my chance…?" Raito sighed as he took out his notebook full of drabbles and songs, and laid down on his bed, trying to extract whatever words were left in his chest after another long day of high expectations and inevitable let downs. _

_After several long seconds of simply staring down at the piece of paper, a twitch began to develop over his left eye, whatever patience left within the young man soon disappearing. _

'_What's the matter with me?!' _

_Words were the one thing Raito could rely on, leading him away from where he was then to a newer and much more interesting place that he could submerse himself into. Words would never betray or hurt him, since there was no one who knew what it took to make him actually feel pain. _

_Words were his gateway to another world… where it was just him and his dreams, and nothing else. _

_But this disappointment…_

"_Wait… disappointed…" _

_And that was all it took before Raito what was enveloped once again. _

"_That's it." _

_**"One of these days when we meet again **_

_**I will wave my hand; your smiling face will be forever burned in my mind.**_

_**"That's it, eh?" was the response on my face, **_

_**I wonder if I can smile well and convincingly?"**_

_The neat handwriting continued at a rapid pace, the words once again flowing through his mind as a melody began to burn in the backdrop of the piece, a new song already coming together. _

_**"Although I still can't hand over the ball with "I love you" written on it,**_

_**My heart scatters, tumbles, and tickles.**_

_**Even if things can't remain like this, and are drifted away from here on,**_

_**It'll never change, it'll never be soiled, our only canvas."**_

_As Raito continued to write, a small voice began to whisper something in the back of his mind, refusing to be ignored. _

'_You say words can't hurt you…' It taunted the preoccupied boy, 'But really, you've lost the ability to experience this type of exquisite pain, haven't you? You live without actually living…' _

_Raito gulped as he tuned out the provocations within his own mind, continuing in his writings without actually listening to the truths coming forefront in his head. _

'_You are nothing but a fake.'_

_The tanned hand came to a dead halt, the sudden revelation too much to bear. _

'_But you go on and continue taking comfort from these false words. They are quite possibly the only things you may ever come close to actually **feeling**... aren't they?'_

_With that, the young teen slammed the notebook closed, his hands shaking in anxiety. Raito lay on the bed thereafter, wondering, just wondering, if he would ever be able to escape this damning prison. _

* * *

"Raito-kun looks depressed." L stated as the singer lay on the coach, head in his hands.

"What do you actually want me to say to that?" The younger boy mumbled through long fingers, trying to ignore the agitating detective the best way he knew how;

Spacing out.

"Would Raito-kun like to tell me why he is so upset?"

Raito glared at the detective.

"Ah. Yes, I suppose that is a rather stupid question, isn't it?" L sat down on the other end of the couch, peering at Raito over his raised knees. "I just do not like seeing Raito-kun so anxious is all."

"Really?" For once, the question sounded genuine instead of sarcastic, which surprised the detective. "Can I ask you something, L?"

The petty sugar-addict sighed.

"Yes, Raito-kun?"

"Why…" Raito shifted, his hands leaving his face as he gave L a genuinely curious glance, hesitating in asking the question that seemed to linger in his mind. "Why did you choose to take up this case?"

L gave Raito a rather bored stare as the young boy looked over at him coyly. "That is none of Raito-kun's concern."

"Why don't you want to answer me?" Raito rapidly fired back.

"Once again, none of Raito-kun's concern." L repeated, shifting his sight over to the flat screen plasma TV the musician had in his living room.

"Why did I seem to interest you specifically, even before you found out about the note?"

"Do I need to reiterate my answer from before?"

"I could keep asking these questions all night."

"And I can continue deflecting them all day."

"Why would you want to?" Raito resolve finally broke, his frustration palpable within the room.

"Why is it your concern?" L wiggled his toes as the small movement of cushions caught his attention, turning his head only to find Raito's face inches away from his own.

"You're so evasive…" The 17-year-old boy whispered, his breath fanning out against the detective's face.

"So is Raito-kun." The insomniac countered, fingers twitching against his jeaned thighs. Both young men stared into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what the other was trying to say…

"Gentlemen?" Watari softly called out, awkwardly standing by the entrance of the rather large living room. "Is this a bad time?"

"Of course not, Watari." L snapped his head in the older man's attention, lamenting the loss of the younger man's warmth as he backed away, blinking up at the other familiar man in the room. "What is the matter?"

"There seems to have been another set of murders…" Watari stated. "But this time, the notes on walls have changed."

"What do you mean?" Raito looked confused, wondering just what the mad person could have done to make the poor old man pale as vividly as he did.

"It seems that the messages are aimed towards someone else."

"Who?" L gnawed on his thumb as a feeling of anxiety began to travel up from the pit of his stomach.

Watari gazed pointedly at L, not sure how to phrase what he was thinking. Luckily, he didn't have to.

Raito could only utter one word as the message was laid out loud and clear.

"_You?" _

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own "Canvas" by Hirai Ken. Another song picked by the great Kitsune55. Yay! XD

As you can see, things are beginning to pick up. You all must be wondering just what the hell is going on... as always, I refuse to say. Lol! Thanks to Kitsune55 for beta-ing the chapter (PM her, she gives away free cookies! Lol!) and thanks for reading you guys! Hopefully, you'll stick around for the next chap!


	6. A Heavenly Crown of Sinful Thorns

I... am so flipping exhausted. ((falls over)) I'm sorry you guys had to wait awhile for this chapter. The good news is you probably won't have to wait that long for the next, though! Joy-ness abounds. Lol!

Much love to my beta, Kitsune55, who managed to get all of this done in a very quick and very precise manner (Even if she says otherwise. Lol!) and thanks to you guys for sticking around this long! ((Sniffle)) You guys... make me so happy! ((Sobs)) See ya... ((sob)) soon!

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Six: _A Heavenly Crown of Sinful Thorns_

* * *

"_You?_"

L stared at the older man, his eyes not conveying the shock he felt at the sudden revelation. Raito sat beside the detective, mouth wide open as the small word gasped out of his lips, L barely hearing him as he attempted to process that small bit of information himself.

'What…?'

"He's still watching me somehow…" The musician whispered to himself. "But how would he know to target _**you**_ specifically? The public barely knows about said murders, let alone that the 'great detective L' is working on them."

L stayed silent, pondering the answer to the same question himself.

"Leak in the police?" Raito continued to go on out loud, his eyes concentrated on the ground while the detective tried to pull himself back to the situation at hand. "Or maybe a witness they just couldn't manage to catch…"

"Either is quite possible." Without noticing, L began to gnaw at his thumb, speaking between clenched teeth and skin. "Watari."

"Yes sir?" The older man stepped forward, immediately coming forefront at the sound of his name. The shock receded to the back of L's mind as his empty gaze settled over his associate, not willing to show just how rattled he truly was.

"How long has it been since these murders have been discovered?" The detective questioned, automatically setting his mind to process whatever it was Watari would say hereafter.

"Each murder was recorded separately, but the last scene was found approximately a hour and a half ago. There was about a fifteen minute time span between each reported scene, each called in by a different male witness, who strangely enough, all seemed to die exactly ten minutes after the call to the police had been made." Raito blinked in surprise.

"There were witnesses in every scene this time?!" The boy exclaimed. "And they all died?!"

"There have not been any full analyses done on any of the crime scenes, as a full exploration is being done at this point in time. I do, however, have the short handed generalization of the environment within the apartments and photos taken of both the victims and messages found at the scene along with photos of the witnesses that passed away after calling 9-1-1."

"May I have the crime scene photos then, Watari?" L's eyes held a faraway look to them, unsettling the young pop star that looked disturbed at the thought of actually being even in the vicinity of the pictures at hand, let alone looking at them.

'It's like he doesn't even care that some random guy is targeting him!' Raito shivered at the thought, wondering how a person could remain so stone-faced at the reality of such a situation. 'We don't even know how they know this is all going on! For all we know, they're watching us right now!'

A burst of panic erupted in Raito's chest, but the brunette managed to suppress the urge to get up and walk out. L gazed at Watari unaffected, not even acknowledging the younger man beside him as he then held his hand out, awaiting for the package to be dropped into his impatient hand.

Watari's face crinkled slightly, the wrinkles on his face all the more predominant prominent as he pulled the large folder from underneath his arm and placed it in between the two men's sitting space.

"I trust the two of you will go about this the right away?"

Watari kept his gaze on L.

"And please... do not be disturbed by what you may see in these photographs."

The gaze switched over to Raito.

Both men nodded, one already picking at the package while the other sent the old man a shaky smile before hesitantly doing the same.

* * *

"_You really went all out this time…" _

The dry voice, masked with a slight hint of mockery rumbled in satisfaction, the crimson-eyed man interesting him with each new move he took.

"It had to be done…" Cold pale hands stroked the dark journal within his hands before shifting his gaze back to the notebook still lying on his desk, eyes gaining a faraway gleam to them as the only other decrepit figure in the room slinked up towards the ceiling with its usual malicious smile on its face. "_L _thinks that just because he is who he is that that makes the _Light_ his, but…"

A smirk overcame the man's shallow features as he shivered in delight, glad to have had this smallest of victories over the world's greatest detective.

"I saw him first."

The baritone voice sang out, not truly acknowledging just _who _it was he was talking about. The voices in his head continued to sing as a small smirk crawled over his features, the song of crying triumph already

"_So, you really think of him as yours, eh? Cuz they seemed to have taken quite a liking to each other from what I've seen. You could cut the sexual tension with a rusty knife! Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…" _

Ryuk said nothing more as the grating laugh filled the room, not noticing the other man's strained countenance as he flitted around endlessly.

Hands trembled as murky bangs obscured the man's vision, a tight frown perched awkwardly over creamy white lips.

"You don't get it, Ryuk…" Sinister eyes glazed over in pure bejeweled red sparkled in the dim light, not meeting the amused Shinigami's gaze as he opened the journal once more, memories of another time replaying themselves within his head. "They're both falling right where I want them… The pieces are already set."

The same grim smile, etched in eternal morbid glee twitched as the slightly unhinged man stood from his spot on the chair, pacing in time to his own secret rhythm.

"_Are they now?" _The Shinigami stared at the maniacal genius as began to giggle to himself, rocking forward and backward in a childish motion.

"Of course. Neither of them can resist a challenge; it's not in either of their natures… especially _L_. So you see, Ryuk…" A tempest of raw emotion, both innocent and mauled over, warred with each other as the man's corrupt gaze settled over the ragged notebook on his desk, the words 'Death Note' blurring the man's vision quite brightly as the voices began to whisper once more.

"_**They'll both be mine… by the end of this game." **_

* * *

"Fuck."

Raito didn't want to look anymore.

It was…

It was…

It was _inhuman._

This was simply not justice.

And Raito hated every second of it.

"Raito-kun should take a break if he feels as if he requires one."

The calming monotone of L's voice brought the young pop star back to Earth, not quite sure how to explain the sudden need to be as close to the detective (who still refused to admit who he truly was, damn it) as possible.

Was it _just _because of the crime scenes? The visual evidence of someone knowing that not only was Raito being protected, (as inane as that thought was) but being protected by the one and only L?

Yet, it seemed as this was all going too fast. It couldn't just be coincidence, could it? Every witness dying ten minutes after the 9-1-1 call from cardiac arrest? Most of them were too young to be even _considered_ to be in danger of heart-attacks!

And the messages and actual murders were nothing to be laughed at…

From all the evidence gathered, there seemed to be seven deaths in total, each crime scene left in almost the same exact way as the previous one's; the most significant of differences seen on the notes left on the walls.

Raito picked up the closest picture to him, the vibrant word splayed on the wall hitting him more than anything else-

_**LUST**_

'Lust... like the seven sins? Why would he write that...?' Raito grimaced at the liquid seemingly dripping down the wall from the where the word lie. For every picture, one word in particular, that of the seven original sins, lay splattered across the wall, the cryptic words breaking out against its morbid surroundings.

Raito felt a lurch in his stomach as he stared at the word, wondering for a just a moment, just what _used _to be a person did to deserve the fate that had been given to them. Did this murderer pick his victims at random? Or was there something a bit more darker at play…

If only Raito knew.

The young man shook his head, shoving any other slightly sentimental thoughts to the back of his head as he shut down his over-exhausting emotions and concentrated solely on the picture in front of him and nothing more.

Small letterings lay underneath the spectacularly large word, the petty scrawl coming together in a tumble of words, all of them which were in English.

_**To You, L.**_

_**For each time you have glanced tremblingly…**_

"What does he mean by that?" Raito dropped the picture as he snuck a glance at L, only to find the detective staring straight into his eyes without any normal reservation. The musician silently gulped at the look penetrating the older man's face as he continued to gaze at him unblinkingly.

"L?"

"I do not know, Raito-kun." L finally stated before turning away from the younger man as he continued to examine the pictures in front of him, cell phone lying next to him within hand's reach.

But Raito was not fooled in the least. He had gotten a tiny glimpse of truth from the ambiguous man's eyes that would have scared him at any other time.

'_Liar…_'

If anything, Raito was relieved, if only for the moment.

* * *

"_What do you want from me?" Raito looked up into his father's eyes as the words came tumbling from his mouth without realizing it. The older Yagami shamefully stared down at his son's crumpled form as Raito forced himself up from the floor and glared into his father's seemingly deceptive gaze. _

"_C'mon, tell me already! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY TAKE THAT YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY TAKEN, __**DAD**__?!" _

_Cinnamon colored eyes, so very much like his own, wearily closed as the older man sat down on the couch that resided within the singer's Manhattan home, not sure if he was doing the right thing or not. This was his fault; he knew it. But before anything, he had promised his wife and daughter that he would try to get Raito to come home. _

_An impossible task indeed. _

"_You're mother wants to see you Raito. As does your sister. All they do is ask when you're coming home to visit." The father whispered, trying to make the boy see reason. Yet since that one night not so long ago… That one night he should have __**protected **__his son…_

_Raito had never been the same again. _

"_Well, why don't you let them know why I don't come to visit, father? Or are you just that ashamed to even mention it? Poor little Soichirou… cursed with such a miserable little son…" _

_Cold eyes, so unlike the small boy he had raised, did not give any leeway as Yagami Soichirou laid back against the comfortable cushions, knowing that if Raito hated him, he only had himself to blame. _

"_How many times do I have to apologize, Raito?" Soichirou pleaded, not able to look into his son's broken stare. "What do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?" _

_Raito stepped forward, his eyes on the floor as he walked away from the couch, whispering only a few momentous words barely heard by the father he had wished to have never known. _

"_Can you take these memories out of my head… even if for a moment?" _

_Soichirou said nothing as the boy then silently left the room. If only he could…_

_He would not hesitate to even do so._

* * *

"Raito-kun?" L whispered to the lump lying against his shoulder, prodding the boy in a feeble attempt to bringing him back into the waking world.

L was actually quite comfortable where he was, thanks.

Unfortunately Raito would pitch a fit if he did not at least **attempt **to wake him up, so here he was, trying to poke a 17-year-old teen into consciousness and failing quite fantastically.

Thank God.

The droopy-eyed man quit his nudging and allowed the boy to simply rest for the moment, knowing that no matter how much of a prodigy the teenager seemed to be, it took time to actually become accustomed to looking at such vicious images such as these.

Looking through the photos, L wondered when the forensic evidence was finally going to come in. He knew it was a long shot, but even the greatest of geniuses made the slightest of errors at times…

And it was with those errors that L would manage to catch this mad man at his tail.

The scattering of the limbs looked the same; even the position of the mutilated torso and decapitated head looked as if they had been ripped from the other crime scenes and meticulously placed into a wholly new environment. But there was just something different that he just could not place…

"Those crowns…" Raito mumbled from his shoulder, weary voice signifying his impending waking. Eyes drearily focused on the picture L held between two fingers as the older man turned his gaze towards the picture within his two-finger grip. "They're different from each other…"

And like that, the shielded became obvious.

L grabbed each picture of the seven decapitated heads and lay them side by side next to each other, blinking at what he saw.

'Different flowers.' The detective thought to himself as studied each flower studded crown laying solemnly against the bloodied heads. 'He used completely different flowers for each crown this time…'

"But what does it _mean…_" L whispered to himself as he studied each picture, mouth absently speaking around the calloused thumb that had unconsciously made its way to the 24 year old's mouth.

"He's trying to send you another message through the flowers." Raito groggily stated, eyes clearing up rather quickly. "Each kind of flower and color hold a different meaning, correct? So in thinking that is what he is attempting to set up, it would be best concluded to study each type of flower and locate just what each color is said to mean."

"Yes…" L nodded, fingers absently tracing each crown as a small smile quirked over his lips. "You are quite correct, Raito-kun. I wonder how I could have been so sightless as to have not noticed that beforehand."

Raito shrugged, turning away from the images of bodiless heads, the grin he wore steadily slipping off his face as the younger man unknowingly cringed in discomfort.

'The pictures still bother him, don't they? And yet he is still attempting to assist in analyzing them whilst only just waking up…' The detective gave the boy an appraising glance, a sense of pride welling up in his chest at the thought that this amazing musician could have been an even more amazing detective. 'He catches onto things very quickly, and is very perceptive and concise, much like myself… maybe even more so…'

L gathered up the pictures and shoved them back into the manila folder handed to him by Watari, throwing them to the side as Raito continued to snuggle onto L bony shoulder.

Faraway mahogany eyes stared down into the cushions as a lanky arm then hesitantly pushed him closer to the warm body next to him, a slight stiffening of muscles giving away Raito's first reaction.

"Raito-kun is still tired. He may continue to rest if he would like." L cheerfully stated, purposely ignoring the younger man's response to his touch and leaning him even further into his embrace, bringing down his legs as he fully reclined back against the couch.

"And you would just love to be my pillow, wouldn't you?" Raito retorted, relaxing only the slightest of bits as he forced the unwelcomed images of death and blood out of his mind.

"Only if Raito-kun would stop being so pretentious all the time. The high and mighty act is only so cute for so long." L internally grinned as Raito positioned himself on top of the detective, glaring down at the now blank poker face L so loved to adopt.

"I am not pretentious. I'm just…"

"Yes?"

"Aware of how awesome I am."

"…"

"…"

"If you say so, Raito-kun."

"Oh, shut up."

Without another word, L suddenly rolled them over, Raito almost tumbling over the couch as a result as their positions were suddenly reversed. Dark eyes gleamed down at the teenager as his heart began to palpitate against his throat, not sure how to take the sudden turn of events.

"L… what…?"

L sighed as he lowered his head just a bit, lips barely inches away from Raito's own as the insomniac detective's eyes traced the pop star's face in barely concealed longing. "Raito-kun continually tells me to 'shut up,' yet Raito-kun is the one who excessively talks all the time…"

And with that simple statement and predatory glance at his supple lips, Raito proceeded to promptly shut up.


	7. What Was There All Along

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Seven: _What Was There All Along_

* * *

"L…"

Raito stared up at the detective lying above him, not quite sure how to take this new series of very uncomfortable events. Flashes of another place and time began to roll in the back of his mind, memories he had tried so hard to bury slowly resurfacing as the minutes continued to tick by.

"We have only known each other for such a short time…" L laid his head down at the crook of the teen's neck, ignoring the way the body beneath his own jumped at the sudden contact. "Yet I feel so close to Raito-kun…"

"I…" Raito felt himself hesitate, not quite knowing what to say. As much as he wished to rebuke the sudden claim-

"I feel the same way."

Something deep inside him knew he couldn't.

"Raito-kun…" The detective breathed out, the exhalation of air gently hitting the small bit of skin L was cuddled against. He moved forward, his heart pounding in anticipation at the sight of those luscious lips barely inches away from his own, when L realized that Raito was still speaking.

"But…"

L stiffened against the musician's taut neck, the body beneath his own trembling with nerves as Raito turned his head away from the detective encasing his being.

"I don't think you really want to do this with _me_." Chestnut brown eyes shimmered with what could have been a trick in the light as hands made their way up and began to push the older man off his chest. "I think you're only interested in the other person in the room."

"Other… person?" L hefted himself up, peering down at the face below him as he held his weight up by his elbows. "What does Raito-kun mean by that? We are the only two people in the room, aren't we?"

"No, we aren't." The trembling boy replied, shakily resting his head against the cushions of the couch. "I wish we were, but we aren't."

"Raito-kun is becoming delusional with the stress of the ongoing case." L mumbled to himself, bringing a hand up to carefully twirl a wayward lock of the boy's reddish-brown hair away from Raito's face.

A strange emotion overcame the singer's eyes, a sudden apprehension taking over them both as the detective and musician simply gazed into each other's sights, not sure what the other was searching for as the minutes continued to tick by.

"You don't understand, L. You don't really know… you want… _**Light**_. And I-I'm only…" Without another word, the young teen pushed the older man off of his person, shocking L as he dropped off the couch and stumbled onto the floor. Raito ran out of the living room and made it into his bedroom, locking door almost immediately thereafter.

Raito slipped down onto the floor, back against the door as a single tear slipped down his face, hands shaking in both anger and frustration

"You would hate the real me, L. Just like everyone else does. And I…" Raito sighed, not sure he could continue on with this charade. Not sure he could continue on with this life in general. A tanned hand ran through his silky auburn locks of hair, trying to find a way out of the newest series of predicaments that now seemed eminent.

"I don't think I could deal with you hating me too."

* * *

"_I hate it." _

_Raito glared at the executive as they continued to play the beats through the multiple machines around them, the recording studio empty except for the two of them. "It's too pop-y for any of the songs I have written, and we don't have the time for me to suddenly whip something up from out of my ass." _

"_Well, Raito my boy, I hate to break it to you, but it doesn't matter if you hate it," The man stated, his unevenly cut hair falling limply over his narrowed eyes. "The fact is, you're going to put words over this music and sing to it whether you like it or not." _

_Raito's own eyes narrowed in rage as the man's taut form stiffened even further from the intensity of the younger man's glare._

"_Bill, what the fuck do you mean by-"_

"_Raito, people have been complaining about your lack of motivation and obsessive compulsive nature for the last year!" The older man, now known as Bill, stood up from his chair and began pacing around the room, continually running his hands through his bleach blonde hair. "You are certainly cut out to become one of our first class star performers, but if people keep refusing to work with you Raito, you'll get nowhere. And if that keeps up, as much as I may abhor it, I may be forced to drop you from our label." _

_Bill's beady green eyes bore a whole through Raito's forehead as the young man calmly took a sip off his bottled water, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world. _

"_Don't you even care that you're career is on the line, or did everything I just say go through one ear and out the other?" Bill sighed as he put a hand on Raito's shoulder, ignoring the tremble racking through his client's body. "These people can't stand you, Raito, and we can't have the people who are supposed to be backing us __**hate **__us. You have to be more professional if you expect to survive in this business."_

"_Of course I care, Bill. I'm listening to everything you're saying and agree wholeheartedly." Raito drawled out, placing the bottle tightly cradled within his hands to the side. "I take everything you say very seriously, you know." _

_Bill sighed, shaking his head in disdain. "You've got a week to get your shit together, __**Light**__. Make the most of it." _

_Rosy lips pursed together as the man stalked out of the room, cinnamon eyes lacking the usual gleam held deep within their depths. _

_Raito knew he couldn't keep going down the same road. Something would have to be done, and it would have to be done immediately, or else…_

_Or else everything he had worked so hard to obtain would be ripped from his grasp. _

_Raito would be no more, along with the memories he continued to hold onto. _

_**Light**__ would simply have to take his place… once and for all. _

* * *

"Raito-kun?"

No response came from the other side of the door.

L sighed as he shuffled the series of papers and photos that now rested on the coffee table. Although L understood that he had taken Raito off-guard by the sudden display of aggressiveness, this was not the reaction had not been expecting. A straight-out rejection would have been easier to deal with than this awkward silence and confusing mesh of words the song-writer had left him with.

In the days that he had spent with the boy, he had seemed strangely at ease, if annoyed by the intrusion in his life. L had expected a meltdown eventually, but not in the way it had occurred. Raito had become a totally different person…

"_You… you want… __**Light**__. And I-I'm only…"_

'He acted as if he had been portraying a character all this time.' The detective stared at the grotesque pictures in front of him, not truly seeing them all the same. 'Was that all this was to him? Just another stage with some other crowd to please?'

"Raito-kun? Will you come out now?"

L sighed at the continual silence.

"If Raito-kun does not open the door within the next five minutes I shall bust it open with my own bare hands."

Still nothing.

L felt his eye twitch.

"Raito-kun, my patience is leaving me…"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, L!" The boy finally snapped, still not opening the door.

It seemed the detective would have to take drastic measures on the matter on hand.

"Not unless Raito-kun opens the door!"

"WHY?!"

"… Observational purposes."

"WELL THEN GET ONE OF YOUR DAMN LAPTOPS FROM WHATEVER MAGICAL PLACE YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO PULL THEM OUT OF AND WATCH ME IF YOU HAVE TO! JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"

L sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, wondering just how the boy knew about his hidden laptops.

"OBSESSIVE STALKER NUMBER TWO!"

The detective sweat dropped in frustration.

'It seems I will have to finally get physical.'

"Alright, Raito-kun. You have given me no choice."

There was a pause behind the door as Raito, L presumed, collected his thoughts and wondered just what it was L was going to do.

"What are you going to do, L?"

L got up from the couch and prepared himself, standing a good four feet away from the door.

"Nothing that I haven't said I wasn't going to do."

One…

The sugar-addicted insomniac blinked as a heard a rustling behind the door, the sound of a body shifting against the block of wood taking him off guard.

"L, don't do anything stupid…"

Two…

"Raito-kun should have thought of that before he decided to be so difficult." The older man easily replied as he mentally collected himself and nodded, knowing this was the best course of action to take. "I suggest Raito-kun get away from the door and stand off to the side."

"L, WA-"

Three!

L quickly rushed to the door, throwing his shoulder forward against the entrance as the door suddenly swung open, the detective falling to the floor in a heap of gangly limbs.

"-it."

A pair of charcoal eyes rimmed with dark bags blinked as the man dazedly gazed up at the musician who stood by the open door, Raito's lips curled up in a faint smirk.

The ass.

"I tried to tell you. You shouldn't have been so impatient with me." Raito stated matter of fact. L felt his eye twitch once more at the smug quality of the boy's voice.

"So now Raito-kun is suddenly alright?" L questioned unsurely. The detective wasn't sure how to take the sudden withdrawal from before, the musician seemingly back to normal. There was still an air of weariness around the boy, as if he was tired…

"Of course I am. Sorry about before…" Raito chuckled as he scratched the back his head, turning around and facing his bureau. "I was just kind of out of it is all. But I'm all fine now, honest?"

"Why is it I don't believe you, Raito-kun?" The suspicious older man stood up from the floor, bringing his thumb up to his mouth as he began to gnaw on the singular digit. Raito took a step back as the detective slouched forward, wincing as his behind came in contact with his dresser.

"L…" The same feeling of apprehension began to take hold of the boy once again as L continued to step forward until only centimeters lay in between them. "Please… you don't want to do this."

"I believe I know more of what I may or may not want than Raito-kun." A hand clasped onto Raito's arm as pop star turned away from the insomniac's empty gaze, not sure what to make of the continuing advances.

"I'm not who you think I am!" The boy shouted, his taut nerves finally snapping under the intensity of the detective's vacant stare. "I don't know what you're thinking, but whoever you think you're staring at isn't who you're…"

L leaned in closer, not deterred by the boy's supposed protests in the slightest.

"Are you even listening to me, L?! I'm trying to tell you to back off and it's like you're in your own little world! What, are you daydreaming about chasing lollipops and cakes again?!"

The detective sweat dropped, faintly embarrassed that he had admitted that to singer a day before whilst Raito had been rambling about… something.

"I resent that comment for the obvious fact that I am only choosing to ignore everything you are saying for a good reason. My poor cakes have nothing to do with it this time, as tempting as it is to block out Raito-kun's ever irritating voice at times."

"HEY!"

L smirked as Raito forgot about personal boundaries and leveled himself at the sugar-addict's height despite former objections.

"Raito-kun is very rambunctious today."

"Well, it seems that L-kun is very deaf today."

"Do not worry, Raito-kun. This 'deafness' you speak of is only in concern to any stupidity that may unintentionally pop out of your very lovely mouth in the form of very obnoxious comments."

"You…" The musician's face turned a shade of very abnormal red as the detective smirked in triumph.

He had Raito right where he wanted him…

* * *

"_OH MY GOD, IT'S ! I SEE HIM! OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, HES'COMINGONSTAGE! KYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAA!"_

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"_

"_WE LOVE YOU, LIGHT!"_

"_WOOOOOOOOO! LET'S SEE SOME NAKED LIGHT ACTION!"_

_Raito sweat dropped as he backed away from the stage. _

_His first performance on his very first tour…_

_It was definitely not what he expected. _

"_What are you doing, Light?! Those babes are practically frothing from their mouths wanting to get a piece of you and you look scared shitless!" _

"_Poor guy. It's probably too much to take in all at once." _

"_I get that. Even I can admit Light's hot. God knows what those girls would do if they ever got their hands on him." _

"_Probably rape him over and over again."_

"_Lucky bastard." _

_Raito ignored the words of his band mates and focused solely on his growing anxiousness, knowing he would only get one chance at this. All those people who had said he would fail would have to eat their words, or Raito would have to take the fall. _

_This was the pinnacle he had been waiting for all this time. This was the moment where he could finally prove his self-worth; if not to everyone else, at least to himself. _

"_I'm ready…" _

_Without thinking, Raito ran straight ahead of his band members, grinning at the masses of fans (__**his**__ fans) that greeted him with zealous screeches. _

_His button-up shirt lay wide open, his chest exposed for all to see as his tight low-riding jeans clung to his long legs. Sweat dripped down his tanned face as adrenaline began to pump through the musicians veins, knowing this was sink or swim. A clenched hand gripped the microphone as Raito yanked out all of his inhibitions from his mind and pushed them away, saving them for another day. _

"_ARE YOU READY FOR ME, L.A.?!"_

"_!!"_

_Raito glanced at his band mates, smirking in satisfaction. _

"_Hit it." _

"_**I wanna be a pop star and be more to you; I'm lifted from the ground in a daze… A sparkling pop star; I spread my wings and do my magic just for you!"**_

"_YOU CAN BE MY POP STAR ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, LIGHT!"_

"_POP STAR, MY ASS! I'LL LET YOU BE WHOEVER THE HELL YOU WANTED TO BE LIGHT! JUST LET ME TOUCH YOU! PLEAAAAAAAAASE! ((sob))" _

_Raito knew that the person he was wasn't the person these people wanted to see. _

"_**When I'm with you, I'm so happy- but then I'm so sad when I'm not. Taking each other's hands, we run straight into a love affair."**_

"_Light! Light! Light! Light!"_

_But he would play the part to a tee._

"_**I can't fly to the sky, but I can sing my song of loneliness at night if that would bring a smile to your cheeks."**_

_He could still hear them chanting his name…_

_If only it was really him they were so busy adoring. _

"_**When I held you close for the first time, it was as if God himself came down upon me. Now my destiny is to be a hero, just for you."**_

_If only someone could come and save him from this endless spiral of self-hatred. _

_Maybe he could have a fighting chance. _

"_WE LOVE YOU LIGHT!"_

_If only…_

* * *

"Raito-kun is hiding something very important to me."

"Maybe I am."

"It was not a question."

"Isn't it?"

"No. So please stop attempting to be coy, Raito-kun."

"What would you like for me to tell you, L?"

"The truth would be a lovely thing for me to learn. Perhaps with that, I may be able to actually **solve** this case."

"Well, you can't handle the truth."

"Neither can you, it seems."

Raito pouted from his spot on the bed, his head huddled over the man's uncomfortable shoulder. His arm still hurt from the grasp L had had on it (who would have thought that a guy with a two-finger hold could have fingers of steel?!) and dragged him upon the bed, encasing him (trapping him) within his own embrace.

The brown-eyed musician was obviously not amused.

"I don't see what it has to do with the case." The singer mumbled, unintentionally snuggling closer to the detective in question. "It's not like you ever tell me anything worthwhile. Why do you want to know about me so badly?"

"There is a homicidal murderer set on having Raito-kun. I suppose I have the right to be a bit weary about the things that may or may not be connected to the case." L dryly stated, his embrace tightening slightly. "Anything can be seen as vital at this point, Raito-kun. You know this, and yet you still continue to keep secrets?"

Long fingers clamped down around the panda-eyed detective's waist, eyes closing in frustration as L continued to prod. He knew he would have to tell L eventually, but he wanted-no, needed, to keep this to himself for just a bit longer.

Raito wanted to play the part of _Light_ for just a bit longer, even if he knew he couldn't forever.

"Raito-kun…"

"Tell me something about yourself, L." Raito cautiously opened one cinnamon colored eye, ignoring the sudden stiffening of muscles that enwrapped him. "Even if it's something stupid and mundane. And I'll tell you something in return for what you tell me."

"What?" The older man frowned as Raito's other eye pocked open, gleaming up at him with undisguised amusement. "Like a… game?"

"Doesn't seem right that I have to be the one to be constantly put on the hot seat, now does it? Tell me something about yourself and I'll tell you something about me of equal value. Seems fair, yes?"

"L does not play games." L muttered, ignoring the penchant smirk hanging off the pop star's lips.

"Raito-kun does not follow people blindly." The boy acidly snapped back, managing to gain control of the situation even whilst being under the grip of the freakishly strong anorexic detective.

L's blank gaze peered into Raito's own, the boy's eyes boiling over with emotions the detective could never come to understand. Both were notoriously stubborn, it seemed, with neither willing to break their will of steel.

The detective held on tighter to the warm body next to him, wondering what he could do to make this boy understand.

The singer buried himself deeper within the embrace, knowing that if he broke now, there would literally be no going back.

All it took was a set of words to break the silence, and they were not what either man was expecting.

"I own all of your albums and know all of the lyrics to your songs."

Raito blinked in disbelief.

L actually managed not to blush.

"No way."

"I wish it was a lie."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Does Raito-kun really think I would admit such a thing out loud without a care in the world?! That was not an easy piece of information to part with!"

"I wouldn't put it past you. Sing a lyric from one of my songs, and I'll believe what you're saying is true."

"Is Raito-kun serious?"

"Are you?"

L sighed as he resigned himself to his own fate.

'For the case…'

"Which song?"

Raito narrowed his eyes, trying to think of the most obscure song he could remember writing.

'… … … I've got it.'

"I want you to sing…" Raito paused dramatically, knowing the man in front of him was going to fail without question. This song hadn't been on any of his recent albums, and most people didn't' even know it existed. ""_Greatest Part of Me_"."

L sighed, knowing he had dug his own grave and despising every second of it.

The boy had him by the balls, damn it.

"_**It's in this resounding cavern of emptiness that I have seen this ugly madness that makes up the greatest part of me."**_

The detective slowly whispered out the words, his voice though no where near as soothing as Raito's dulcet tones still managing to catch the boy completely off guard.

"_**I have lied, I have manipulated; worst if all, I feel no shame for these acts. My greatest of goals, which set me up for this fall, begrudge upon my conscience; I wonder if I was ever human at all?" **_

Raito blinked once more.

"What the fuck…"

"_**Nostalgia fills my being, allowing any semblance of understanding to once again slip in between the many unerring crevices…" **_

Dark eyes glazed over as long spidery fingers began to drum out the beat against Raito's bare arm, the musician still in awe at the man.

'He… wasn't lying.'

"_**Oh, the propaganda! Oh, the heartfelt cries! Watching their silent tears-"**_

"_And feeling nothing inside_." Raito finished for the detective, startling him out of his daydream with his half-hearted whisper.

Both men stared at each other, one utterly embarrassed, yet refusing to show it, and the other encased in shock, wondering how someone so important could be fixated on a pop singer like himself.

"You weren't lying." The younger man stated, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"No, I was not." L agreed, quite sure he wanted nothing more than to bury his head in the ground and never show his face to the beautiful teen ever again. "I believe it is now Raito-kun's turn."

"My… turn…well… I guess I'll just have to show you, then."

Raito buried himself deeper within the embrace, not noticing the older detective effectively tightening his grip on the boy's slender body once again. Warm cocoa eyes gazed up into ebony pools of darkness, the singer's face softening under the tension clouding the insomniac's face.

Fingers clenched against the cool fabric of L's formerly pristine white shirt now caked in stains as Raito slowly began to pull himself up, the arms around him loosening in surprise. L stiffened in shock as the abnormally wide-eyed detective lay paralyzed under the pop star's intense stare, lips now laying only centimeters apart. Breaths puffed out in anticipation as the boy's face came closer to L's own, eyes shutting lightly as the distance grew smaller and smaller…

"Ryuuga!"

"GAH!"

"OH SHIT!"

CRASH!

Watari blinked as he stared at the mess of limbs and hair fallen against the ground, not sure if he wanted to know just what it was he had been interrupting.

The older man sweat dropped.

"A full analysis has just been brought in from the crime labs, along with the autopsy reports done on the victims left at the scenes of the crimes. Also, the results from the tests made of the flowers found on the crown of thorns have returned. If you boys would follow me…"

Raito coughed as he crawled out from under the detective, cheeks stained a now semi-permanent red. L's eye twitched as continued to lay sprawled out on the ground, eye twitching in agitation.

"Are you coming, Ryuuga?"

Raito turned an even brighter shade of red.

L didn't even say a word.

God knows the old man still had some good years ahead of him, after all.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own "Pop Star" by Hirai Ken (courtesy of the great Kitsune55!) but I do own the lyrics of "Greatest Part of Me". Copyright, biatches. Lol!

Cute chapter, right? Lots of character development, relationship development, and foreshadowing if you know where to look. I know, I amaze myself. Lol! Many cookies and thank you's sent to my greatest, most favoritest (and only) beta ever, Kitsune55. Fear her speedy correcting skills. And thanks to you readers; next chapter shall be... enlightening to say the least. See ya soon!


	8. Finding the Truth within the Fiction

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Eight: _Finding the Truth within the Fiction_

* * *

"How long do you think they've got left before they finally figure it out?"

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk… I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" _

The monstrous figure's grin seemed to stretch out just a bit more as the dark-haired man chuckled dementedly, his crimson eyes glowing in the dim-lighted room. Two notebooks lay stretched out in front of him as one page was filled to the brim with multiple names and dates and the other much small one was completely blank, devoid of any words at all.

"I guess it won't be too long, now…" Flipping the page of the smaller journal-like book, the scarlet-eyed man picked up a pen, a small message inked in red scrawled across the page.

_**You're running out of time.**_

"_Is he really?" _Ryuuk floated over the deranged man's shoulder, eyes glistening in delight. _"That L fellow certainly doesn't have the power of luck on his side. And Light's just going down for the ride."_

"No, Ryuuk. You're quite right..." Darkening eyes narrowed as multiple shades of black hung over the man's face, completely shadowing his gaze. "They're both running on borrowed time. After all the effort I've made to make my little Light happy, he doesn't seem to appreciate it whatsoever."

_"So he doesn't stand a chance, huh? Got him right where you want them?"_ The grating laugh that seemed to always escape from the deadly Shinigami's mouth reverberated throuhgout the room, echoing heavily within the crimson-eyed man's ears.

A pale hand flipped the journal's page, the red scrawl disappearing in favor of two photographs neatly lined to meet the other's vision. Two separate pictures lay on the next sheet of paper within the nearly empty journal that haunted the man's thoughts, both from completely different times of the mysterious stranger's life.

"No... He doesn't."

* * *

"The coroners have composed that the heart attacks were all natural, meaning no substances were found in their systems to cause them." L muttered out loud, Raito carefully scanning through his own folder as he read through the coroner's report himself.

"But, it seems that all of did die at seemingly the exact same time, if their time of death for all the corpses are correct." Raito ran a hand through his now disheveled locks, eyes weary from going over the same thing over and over. "It can't just be a coincidence that all of the witnesses just happened to die at the exact same time in the exact same way. That's just beyond bizarre."

"That is not the only thing that baffles me, Raito-kun." L pulled out another folder, fingers carefully plucking out the papers in such a meticulous manner, that if not for the seriousness of the situation, Raito would have had the strangest urge to giggle.

"These messages, these flowers, these fingerprints… it does not make sense." L bit his thumb as they both read the paper simultaneously, the heinous photos laid out against the coffee table barely even fazing the two geniuses as they pondered the situation at hand.

"In each crime scene, a set of fingerprints were found within each perimeter." Raito shook his head, not quite believing the words laid out before them. "According to this…"

"Each witness that had called 9-1-1 was the murderer." L concluded, also at a lost in what to think in all this.

"Accomplices?" The pop star questioned half-hazardously, knowing just how his newly found partner could get when he could not figure something out automatically.

"Unlikely. There are no viable connections between each of the witnesses and the victims murdered." The scraggly detective continued to nibble on the digit within his mouth, his eyes unblinkingly staring down at the paper between them. "Not only that, Raito-kun…"

"How would each individually know that you were personally working on this case, right? Even if they were working all together?" The brunette cautiously asked before sipping on the coffee served to him by L's servant-slash-chaperone, Watari.

The older man had quickly made himself scarce after handing them the folders and piping drinks, the force of L's non-existent glare causing him to flee. Raito envied the older man, having to endure the frostiness of L's attitude after the kiss-that-could-have-been.

"Are you listening to me, Raito-kun?" L impatiently asked, putting down his coffee cup before grabbing the cake that would be decimated in less than thirty seconds.

"Of course." Without another word, Raito plucked up his notes, looking over the messages left for the detective at each scene. "It wouldn't seem plausible to think that each of them actually knew you personally, but was probably coerced into each murder if the messiness of the crime scenes, especially compared to the first three, is anything to go by."

"I've already made that clear, Raito-kun. Do keep up." The sugar-addict drawled out, mutilating the cake in response as he shoveled more of the delicious treat within his mouth.

"Well then, I guess you've already thought of checking up on the last people, other than the victims, they came into contact with?" The teenager snapped back, quite sick of the older man's attitude.

"What does Raito-kun think?" L swirled the icing against his fork, bringing it up to his mouth without the slightest bit of hesitation.

"I think you're being a drama-queen and need to shut the hell up." The cinnamon-eyed boy growled out before standing up and stomping towards the door, ignoring the blinking detective with the fork lying within his mouth.

"Hm… was it something I said?"

* * *

_**It seems every time I turn around,**_

_**You're there, just watching me.**_

_**It seems every time I frown,**_

_**You're there, just holding me.**_

_**Giving up the reins **_

_**Of my ongoing self-control; **_

_**Taking your hand within my own**_

_**As you guide me back to a place called home. **_

_**If only I understood**_

_**Just why you really cared…**_

_**If only you really knew**_

_**Why I'm just so scared…**_

Raito stared down at the paper, wondering for the first time just what the hell he was even doing.

From the moment he had left the sour detective to his half-eaten cake and dead-end case, his hand had been aching to write, his emotions begging to finally be released in the form of song.

And this was the best he could come up with?

'I've written some sappy crap in my day, but this has to be the sappiest crap by far…' The 17-year-old thought to himself as he lay down on his bed, notebook sprawled out against his chest as the pen lingered within his open palm.

Thoughts of the day began to blur over as a small knock caught his attention, causing the weary boy to sit up in alarm. Closing the notebook and placing it along with the pen on top of the night stand next to the bed, Raito slouched over to the door, exhausted beyond belief.

"What do you want?" Raito blurted out as he opened the door a tiny bit, peeking over at the detective standing on the other side. The insomniac shuffled as his vacant gaze stayed focus on Raito, the case notes nowhere to be found on his person.

Good. Raito didn't think he could handle anymore of L's whining if he even **attempted **to come into the bedroom with those damned papers.

"I wish to sleep alongside Raito-kun as we do every night." The older man innocently replied, shifting his head to the side as the 17-year-old eyed him skeptically.

"Don't you mean perversely stare at me as I attempt to actually sleep?" The singer snapped back, still refusing to open the door beyond the crack of space that stood between himself and L.

"If it assists Raito-kun sleep at night, I will adamantly deny such accusations and simply insist that I wish to sleep so that he may open the door and ultimately make our way into bed."

Raito blinked in response, knowing quite well that was the man's way of saying _well, what the hell else do you think I do at night, you moron?_

"… How do you manage to be so freaky without even trying?"

L said nothing as the teen opened the door and shuffled his way into the bedroom, a smirk laying imperceptibly against his lips as the boy glowered at his back.

"Magic, Raito-kun. Magic."

* * *

"_Hello there." _

_Raito shifted uncomfortably in his seat as a tall dark-haired man with glasses sat next to him, smiling gently at the young boy who looked no older than 15 or 16 years of age. _

"_Hi." _

"_You seem nervous." The man continued to smile as the boy shifted once again, a guitar case lying next to his feet as he cradled what seemed to be a journal close to his chest. _

"_I've never done this before, so…" Raito turned away from the older man, not liking the feeling of anxiousness that arose within himself at feeling of the stranger's gaze upon his person. _

"_I think you're the youngest person they've ever called in for a call-back. You should be quite proud of yourself, not nervous out of your mind." The young brunette nodded absently as he gripped his journal even tighter, wishing this day would finally come to an end. _

"_If you've gotten this far, then I'm sure they won't just throw you out without giving you a proper chance." The dark-haired professional remarked, tilting his head as Raito turned to face him once more. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" _

"_Err… Yagami Raito." The teen blushed as the smile seemed to stretch across the older man's lips, his eyes brightening in response. "And you are…?" _

"_Oh, I'm sorry. That's pretty rude of me. Mikami Teru. It's very nice to meet you, Yagami-san." Mikami stood up, making his way up to the receptionist as another professional-looking individual walked out and greeted him amicably. _

"_Save me an autograph, Yagami-san!" _

_Raito blushed once more, this one out of mortification rather than shyness as the other people within the room turned their heads to ogle at him directly. _

"_Yeah… I'll be sure to do that." _

_Mikami gave the boy one last smile before disappearing behind the door in front of him, leaving the boy to fend off the rude stares by himself. _

* * *

"_Actually, Yagami-san, what attracted us to you more than just your talent was your raw charisma." _

_The producer, a short man with a seemingly kind face, spoke with such certainty, eyeing the boy intently as he gripped his guitar adamantly. Raito clearly distrusted the man before him, not sure why himself. _

"_You attract people with just your mere presence… it's almost hypnotizing." _

_Raito sighed as the man stuck out his hand, smirking at the inevitable. _

"_I can make you a star, Yagami-san."_

_**You'll lose your soul…**_

"_I can give you everything you've been searching for." _

_**You'll damn yourself, **_

_**And for what?**_

"_What do you need to think about? You've got the drive…" _

_**Make sure you know**_

_**Just what it is you're signing. **_

"_I…"_

_**In the end, it may not be**_

"_Yagami-san?"_

_**Everything you've always wanted.**_

"_Ok." _

"_Lovely…"_

* * *

_I had a dream, daddy…_

_Yes, Raito? What was it about?_

_It was…_

_Raito?_

_It was about what I could be, daddy. It was beyond words…_

_Raito…_

_I wish you could have seen it._

_Raito…_

_But I don't think…_

_Raito…_

_I don't think it's really meant for me, is it daddy?_

* * *

"Raito?"

The younger man blinked in a desperate attempt to ground himself, the vestiges of sleep clinging to his hazy mind as a pair of midnight black eyes stared down at his curled form, bags slipping down from the droopy-eyed gaze as he watched the singer linger between dreams and reality.

"L?" The hoarse voice echoed within the small room, sounding nothing like the silky tenor that seduced the world on a daily basis. "What time is it?"

"Time for Raito-kun to get his lazy bum out of bed and into the shower so that we may finally get some work done." The ebony-haired man carefully crawled out of the bed and unfurled his toes on the carpeted ground, shuffling out of the room as quickly as he could.

Raito rolled his eyes as rubbed the remnants of sleep from his eyes and jumped out of bed, ready to face another day of homicidal fanatics and cranky, perverted detectives.

* * *

_**Lust**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have glanced tremblingly…**_

Raito glanced down at the picture, squelching down the gag forcing its way up his throat.

He turned the page.

_**Gluttony**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have given into temptation…**_

Raito blinked.

Well, that was different.

Ignoring the picture and writing down the phrase within his notes, Raito turned the page once more, trying to focus only on what was necessary.

_**Greed**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have continued to take and take…**_

Little by little, it became just a bit easier to look down at the photographs, closing off that part of his brain that wretched in disgust and only concentrating on the words written along the walls.

_**Sloth**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have given into those starlit eyes…**_

Yet, with each message towards the detective next to him…

_**Wrath**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have brought down your iron fist…**_

Raito had to wonder just who the person was that wished to not only inflict harm on the innocents whom had done nothing but live, but on the man who sat next to him.

The man who refused to show his face to the public.

_**Envy**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have curled into your own abyss…**_

The man who deceived those he deemed unworthy of the truth.

_**Pride**_

_**To You, L. **_

_**For each time you have killed those who have done nothing but speak…**_

The man who continually saved people's lives and avenged those wronged, even if it was only on a whim.

"L, have you looked at these messages by chance?" The brunette turned away from the pictures of the mutilated cadavers, quite sure he was going to be having nothing but nightmares this coming night.

"Not yet, Raito-kun." L did not turn to glance at him, not even offering to take a look at just what was written for him to read.

"What are you looking at, L?" Raito perched himself over the detective's shoulder, not liking the furrow of his brow or the frown now noticeably hanging off the man's pale lips.

"These are the analyses done on the crowns of flowers at each crime scene. Would Raito-kun care to have a look?" Raito said nothing as he stayed where he was, the paper quite visible from where he sat. L shifted within his seat on top of the couch, quite aware of the lack of distance between himself and his ward.

"It says they're all clean of any foreign substances, just like the corpses of the witnesses who called 9-1-1…" The oblivious brunette leaned in closer to the detective, not noticing the shiver passing through the usually distant man who sat as still as stone. "Hm. This is just getting weirder by the second."

"And it will get stranger, Raito-kun."

L flipped the page, each type of flower identified in each crime scene on the pages to follow, inwardly sighing at the time it would take to decode all the garble and sift through what was important and what was not.

"Wait!" Raito reached over and grabbed his notes, grabbing a pen to scribble down which flower went to which scene. "Ok, let's see…"

The wide-eyed detective simply smirked as the boy shifted closer to his person, comfortably leaning in to get a sharper look at the image of each flower and what was written.

"I must ask, Raito-kun, for it has been eating away at me since I have first met you…" Raito stalled in his writing, glancing up at the eccentric man who had found his target in the brunette singer.

"Well, what is it? We don't have all day, L." The beautiful young man didn't not like the look the dark-haired detective was sending his way, a mixture of mischief and actual curiosity coursing through his gaze as he leaned in even closer into Raito's personal bubble.

"Why did Raito-kun decide to be a singer? He has made it quite obvious that he has a sharp mind and an equally incredible drive. Why sing?" Raito glared at the man, feeling thoroughly insulted at the implication L had made.

"Are you saying that making music is simple-minded?" L blinked as the 17-year-old looked like he was a step away from punching L in the face.

"Of course not. It just seems that Raito-kun looks easily bored, and I can only assume that-"

"That music **bores **me?" Raito snapped before L could finish his thought, his temper being thoroughly provoked, even if unintentionally. "What in the hell gave you that stupid idea?"

"Well," L brought his thumb up to his lips, choosing his next words wisely. "Raito-kun looks unhappy. Even when Raito-kun performed in concerts, which I watched via the internet, Raito-kun appeared displeased with where he was. Raito-kun's music even sounds depressed most of the time."

Raito dropped the glare held within his gaze and turned away from the man that seemed to be able to read through him no matter what guise he put up.

"I only wish to know why Raito-kun would choose such a profession if it does nothing but make him melancholy." The insomniac-ridden detective came in closer, hoping he was for once not pushing buttons he knew nothing about. His Raito was a mystery he did not want to unravel all at once, but it seemed that with each word L spoke, another stitch holding the boy together seemed to unwind, causing him to slowly fall away.

"It's not the music that makes me unhappy." Raito whispered, knowing there was no way out of this one. "It's not the performing, the recording, or even the composing, as much hell as that gives me sometimes."

The 17-year-old pop star stood up and turned away from the man he knew would be his downfall, if given enough time. It figures it would be **L **of all people that would finally be the one to break him of his shell; to take away his only source of closure and make him face just what he had become.

"I love my music, L. My melodies, my lyrics…" Raito smiled sardonically as he let go of the last of his restraints, knowing there was no more holding back.

"It's the rest of the world I just can't stand."

* * *

Disclaimer: Ah... there's nothing to really disclaim except the anime itself. The lyrics were all mine- Mine, I say! Ah... and the plot is shared with Kitsune55. Lol! There, I disclaimed. Yay.

We're finally getting to meat of the story. I know I keep getting questions, and soon, you will all get your answers! XD And I must thank Kitsune55 for beta-ing this chapter! As you can see, the awesomeness of the duo that is Hari-Aisu and Kitsune55 has come together once again to bring you this little nugget of gold. And no, I did not have too much coffee this morning. I am brimming off the excitement of my natural high! Lol!


	9. Decayed from Within

A.N: Yay. I've updated. XD Short chapter... Or is it? ... ... ... Yes, actually it is. But you should get excited! We're finally getting to the root of everything! So, yeah. I don't want to spoil anything, but next chapter... be there. This may have seemed kind of filler, but there are small things I've thrown in to kind of give you guys a hint at what exactly is going on. So let me hear your predictions! I always love it when you guys tell me what you think is going to happen. Gets me all giddy. Lol!

Many thanks to Kitsune55 for beta-ing for as always. Don't worry, sweetie. There's certainly no lack of motivation for this story. The next chapter already has me excited! Which means you all should wait for it with bated breath! Lol! See you guys later!

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Nine: _Decayed from Within_

* * *

"_The world is a horrible place." _

_Mikami stared at the boy in front of him as he spoke, ignoring the grass below his head tickling his neck uncomfortably. The boy next to him stared up at the wide expanse that was the sky, notebook sprawled across his chest as the pen rolled out of his hand and onto the ground. _

"_So much chaos… and yet no one wishes to do a thing." Raito closed his eyes, throwing his notebook off his chest and flexing his arms behind his head. "It's amazing how hypocritical people can be in terms of what is right and what is wrong when times get tough and they're forced to make a choice. It's almost disgusting what people are willing to do so they can ignore the corruption around them and turn a blind eye to what's wrong until it's convenient."_

"_And what are you doing to save the world?" Mikami jokingly asked the boy, admiring the way the sun reflected off the youth's face and lit up the natural blonde highlights of the 16-year-old's flawless hair. _

"_My lyrics, of course." Raito excitedly sat up, his eyes popping open as an open sincerity reflected out of them. "My words… I'll make people hear just what they've been ignoring for all these years. Someone has to tell the masses just what they need to hear to get off their lazy asses and actually __**do**__ something." _

"_Really?" The older man gazed at the boy above the rim of his glasses, skepticism clearly animated within his depths. "And when have you heard of an instance where a song made all the difference?" _

"_Well…" The naively sweet brunette fidgeted with the edge of his shirt, cheeks flushing a bright magenta, as his gaze swiveled from the bespectacled man in front of him back towards the grassy ground they both now rested upon. "Never. But that doesn't mean that it can't happen! And I'm sure that once my lyrics become worldwide-" _

_A raucous laughter interrupted the boy mid-sentence as the young executive beside him clutched his midsection in glee, ignoring the now flustered teenager as he clutched his notebook to his chest, embarrassed at the amusement flowing out of the older man. _

_Despite the natural frustration at being laughed at, Raito felt a small fluttering in his abdomen as the laughter gradually ceased and the sight of the corporate executive sprawled in the dirt with a small grin perched on his face sent shivers down the boy's spine. _

"_I'm sorry, Raito. You just have such a confidence within yourself…" Mikami carefully sat up, his ribs aching from laughing so hard at the poor boy. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you yourself thought you could save the whole world with just a couple of words and well-placed bars of music." _

"_Who's to say it can't happen?" The russet-haired boy tossed his head back, locks of petulant bangs falling back from his eyes as he reclined back once more. "Nobody's tried it. At least, not seriously. I think if anybody could do it… it would be me." _

_Mikami said nothing more as he stared at Raito with gentle eyes, a small smile perched on his face as the boy began to watch the clouds once more. _

"_But this is not why I invited you out here today." Raito's face became flushed once more as he kept his gaze up at the sky above him, his nerves on end at the patient stare kept on him. "I…" _

_Mikami raised an eyebrow as the boy began to fiddle with his notebook, something he took to doing whenever he got nervous. The older man had spent so much time with the boy these last few months that he had his mannerisms down pat; something he knew annoyed the young Yagami boy to no end. But really, Raito was just so __**fascinating**__ to Mikami. He was just surprised more people weren't enchanted by his mere presence. _

_He was sure that was all to change once Raito put out his first record and tour, a thing Mikami lamented in the back of his mind. This boy had been all his for this length of time… to share him with the world was both a tragedy and a miracle in the making. _

"_Um… well… you know, we've been practically kind of dating for awhile now…" Raito stumbled over his words, knowing that what he would do next would ultimately prove just how serious the young teen was about their relationship. "And… uh…"_

"_I didn't think I'd ever see the day Yagami Raito would practically be stumbling through a conversation." Mikami smirked jokingly, the blush on Raito's cheeks now infiltrating the rest of his beautiful face. "But do keep going. It's quite amusing, if truth be told." _

"_Grr… Teru! I'm trying to be serious!" Raito finally snapped at the chuckling man next to him, fed up with all of the teasing. "Stop playing around!" _

"_Alright, alright…" Mikami smiled angelically as he folded his arms behind his head, collared shirt becoming slightly grimy from all the dirt. "Just spit it out already. Not that you aren't cute when you're being all adorably insecure and blushing…" _

_Raito blushed once more. _

"_See?" The older man smirked irritatingly. "Absolutely adorable." _

"_Fine then." Raito sniffed, getting up from his spot on the ground and grabbing both his notebook off his chest and his pen from off the ground. "I guess you don't want to hear what I have to ask…" _

_Without another word, a hand grasped Raito's wrist and pulled him back onto the ground and into the dark-haired man's lap, face falling into the crook of Mikami's neck as the executive laughed once more, tightening his hold over the wayward teen as he half-heartedly fought the older man's grasp. "C'mon… I'll even shut up for more than five minutes so that you can ask." _

"_You promise?" Raito whispered, pouting cutely as he did so. _

"_Of course." Hands gently kneaded the boy's sides as the slim brunette nodded and began to fidget with his 'kind of' boyfriend's shirt. _

"_I just wanted to know if… I mean, only if you wanted to, it's totally up to you…" Raito babbled, not noticing the older man's smirking face. "Absolutely no pressure on my part, if you get my drift? But I… um… wanted to know if… you wanted to meet my parents…?" _

_The hands around his midsection tightened as the younger man winced, wondering if he had done the right thing or not. _

"_Raito… are you sure?" The voice that answered the teen was nothing like the familiar commandeering echo that reverberated off the record-company walls, always wanting to get ahead by whatever means necessary. "I know you haven't spoken to them about… __**us**__, yet." _

"_Yes." The starry-eyed teen smiled up at the older man's face, giving off reassurance in the only way he knew how. "I'm positive." _

_Mikami smiled then, eyes flooding with relief as the boy reached up, gently pressing his lips against his own, for once not awkwardly glancing around to make sure no one was watching them, or simply walking by. After so long of waiting…_

_He had finally gotten what he had been waiting for. _

* * *

L stared at the young man across from him, wondering not for the first time just what the boy was thinking.

Yagami Raito, also known as Light, the lead singer and composer for the band Moonlight, was an enigma in every way possible.

The brunette pop star constantly contradicted himself, whether he realized it or not. Raito was both sharp, yet naïve. Compassionate, yet domineering. Fragile, yet still so strong. The boy was an eternal paradox; something meant to be kept a secret for as long as possible.

Yet it seemed that time was coming to an end.

"Raito-kun, please…" L did not plead very often, but something in the way the singer's shoulders were slumped and the dull sheen casting off his normally shiny hair falling untidily over his bent naked neck caused the strangest sensations to build within the usually apathetic man. "I only wish to assist you. I cannot if you intend to keep things from me that may aid in protecting both you and the numerous innocents at stake in this investigation."

"Innocents?" Raito repeated, as if he had never heard the word in his life.

"What does Raito-kun think will happen if this madman does not succeed in trapping him sooner or later?" L stepped closer to the 17-year-old, now stiff with shock. "More people are bound to die if events continue to escalate as they have been doing. Raito-kun is most certainly not the first nor is he the only victim, and if this person has their way, you will not be the last."

"I…" The teenage pop star seemed at a loss for words as the slumping detective reached his way to the boy with no trouble whatsoever, knowing he hit a nerve within the younger man at the thought of more innocent civilians dying recklessly.

"Raito-kun is hesitant to trust not only myself, but everyone around him. I can only conclude that this is because of past trauma that he does not wish to inform me about." L stated frankly, taking note in the rigidity of the younger male's body as he continued to speak. "Yet what Raito-kun does not realize is that if worse comes to worse, I am **L**, and I will not hesitate to investigate what I have to investigate to spread out your entire life before of my eyes."

"Is that a threat?" Raito asked, though not unkindly. The barrier of steel surrounding the singer's feelings had already broken within the younger boy's eyes as he kept his gaze directly on the window in front of him, face half-reflected within the glass pane in a distorted view of his own expression. "You know I don't care about threats in the least."

"I realize this. However, I would rather have Raito-kun tell me what he has to tell him than search through meaningless records that would no doubt only hold the barest of facts, and truly, only half of the story." L did not hesitate to grab Raito's arm, which trembled at the slightest touch.

"Can we sit down?" Sepia eyes finally became seen as Raito slowly turned and faced L's own omniscient gaze.

The detective simply nodded, silently pulling the teen towards the bed in a small feat of strength.

Raito said nothing more, waiting for the inevitable to finally rain down on his façade of strength and willfulness.

L would finally get to see just what it was that Raito was hiding beneath that million-watt smile and empty sparkling eyes.

* * *

"_What are you up to now?"_

The floating shinigami stared at the man before him as he toyed with a series of veins and strands of some sort of puffy white flower.

"Nothing much…" Gloved fingers gently weaved around the leaves and petals as the man smiled, crimson eyes glowing in the dim artificial light. "Just making a crown.

"_I knew that… hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…" _Ryuk practically bounced within his space above the ground at the sight of the magnificent crown, which only meant more entertainment for _him_. _"I meant what scheme are ya hatchin' up now?" _

A dark smirk overcame the man's face as he continued to loop flower against flower, being careful to not crush any of the stems as the leaves began to bunch together against the pure white petals.

"Now, I can't tell you that, Ryuk. That would take all the fun out of it…" Ryuk chuckled once again as the man continued to passively weave the flowers around his slim fingers, scarlet eyes hauntingly keeping their focus intently on the small, yet precious creations. "Tell me, Ryuk. Do you know what kind of flowers these are?"

"_Err…" _The shinigami scratched his head, wiry arms coming almost completely overhead as Ryuk tilted his head to the side. _"The… flowery kind?" _

"Hmph." Hands twitched as the dark-haired man then frowned, now glaring down at the innocent flowers within his spidery digits. "These particular flowers are known as Queen Anne's Lace, but their scientific name is _Daucus Carota_. I suppose you don't realize what they represent either, do you?"

Ryuk shrugged, knowing the man already knew the answer, yet liked to hear his own voice state so regardless.

"_**Sanctuary…**_"

The whisper was hoarse and barely heard, echoing quietly throughout the room almost unnoticingly.

The man grinned toothily once again, inwardly laughing at the joke only he himself knew.

* * *

"I was in love once."

The voice was mechanical in every way, even compared to L's own timber. The sugar-addicted detective kept quiet as both men sat on the bed, barely inches away from each other.

"Isn't that incredible?" Raito smirked, yet the expression was filled with an empty shallowness that left little to L's imagination. "Me, Yagami Raito, Ice-King, was once in love."

"I do not find it that implausible that Raito-kun once had an emotional connection with someone." L stated, feeling strange talking about love with someone he was consequently interested in… in more ways than one. "Raito-kun is a very romantic thinker, so it is without a doubt that if the passion he manages to put into his ideas and words is any indication, then when he feels strongly for someone, rather than something…"

"It was intense." Raito clarified, the smirk devolving into a much gentler, sincere smile as memories began to race through his head in a rapid blur. "He was older than me, for one."

"He?" L cleared his throat, realizing that this actually cleared up any questions he had about the boy's sexuality.

"Yes, **he**." The teenager rolled his eyes as he ground out the words. "Now… where was I? Oh… but he understood what I was trying to say without even trying. He was very devoted to me... and I, to him. I even let him meet my parents."

"It sounds as if Raito-kun was very serious about this individual." Raito couldn't tell from the spot he was sitting as L began to harshly dig his bare feet into the carpeted floor, not sure how else to take the singer speaking of someone he felt so… profoundly for without the sense of jealousy creeping up the back of his mind.

"I… I was. I really, really was." The brunette noticed the slight bitterness in the insomniac's tone, but said nothing of it. "I even considered telling him I was in love with him…"

"Considered?" L echoed, his thumb moving its way to his mouth on its own accord as the words began to clear up the scene within his head.

"… I never got the chance to." Raito admitted. The pain reflected within the deep orbs of burnt amber simmered as the memories began to turn into angry bloody pictures re-rolling themselves over and over within his mind. "I…"

"Raito-kun? Is it possible that this person is the man we are looking for?" L suddenly asked, interrupting the boy mid-sentence.

"No." Closing off his expression towards the detective, Raito turned towards the window once more, the darkening sky overcoming the sky once more. "That's impossible."

"Raito-kun, it is not inconceivable to think that a jilted lover could be responsible for this level of carnage, especially with this person's degree of fanaticism-"

"L." Mahogany eyes shielded by a flurry of disheveled mocha bangs, the singer interrupting the man before he could even finish his theory. "You don't understand. It's **not possible**."

"And why is that, Raito-kun?" The curiosity in L's voice nearly broke the boy, signing off the last of his sanity as his vacant tone echoed within the lavish bedroom.

"Because he's dead."

L's wide eyes stared directly at the teen in front of him, not knowing whether or not he had heard the pop star correctly.

The angst-ridden brunette said nothing more as he stood up from his spot on the bed and walked away from the detective, too tired to even cry.

'Is that what you wanted to hear?'

For some strange reason…

Raito really hoped not.


	10. Falling Off the Edge of My Mind

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Ten: _Falling Off the Edge of My Mind_

* * *

"Raito-kun…" L stared at the boy in front of him, not sure what it was he could say to console him.

"You look as if I just told the sky was going to fall." Raito softly spoke to the shell-shocked detective who still didn't know what the hell to say. "Are you that surprised?"

"If I am to be quite frank, then no, I am not incredibly astonished that Raito-kun's significant other has… passed." L began to shuffle his bare feet against the bed in anxiousness, his toes wiggling sporadically at the strangeness of the conversation. "Raito-kun is an individual ruled by both his beliefs and his passion, so I doubt he would give either up that easily."

"So what is it that has you so shocked, then?" The weary brunette rubbed his eyes, leaning against his wall.

"That Raito-kun actually spoke the truth, I suppose." The sugar-addicted detective admitted, already chewing his thumb mid-thought. Raito blinked, already feeling the ever-present frustration that was always in the back of his mind build up once again. "I hardly would have believed that Raito-kun would be willing to tell me about his personal life without more of a fight, or at least lied his way out of telling the truth."

"But… you said… You didn't expect me to say anything?!" L shrugged, popping his thumb out of his mouth and scratching the side of his head mundanely. "Then why did you say all those things about trusting you and you finding out eventually if you didn't even think I would tell you the truth?!"

"No use in not trying." L stated blandly.

Raito felt his eye twitching, his hand just itching to punch that annoyingly blank face in one fell swoop…

"That and what I said about prying into Raito-kun's past is true." Dark eyes shadowed with ebony bags narrowed as Raito's back stiffened in what seemed to be an automatic reaction. "I would not have liked to have done so, but I would have had no choice but to look into Raito-kun's personal background myself."

"Hm." Raito turned away from the analytical detective, bringing his gaze out towards the window next to him. The bright lights of the city twinkled as cars zoomed past down the multitude of streets, pedestrians laughing gaily as they walked down the crowded sidewalks of New York. "You wouldn't have found much."

"What does Raito-kun mean by that?" L once again blinked, head already clouding with the unfamiliar confusion that seemed to torrent his mind these days.

"You'll find out soon enough, L." Raito turned towards one of the many bureaus surrounding the spacious bedroom and began to pull out clothing, his body aching for the warm spray of the shower and a long, deep sleep in his very comfortable bed after a hard day of working on a case that was killing his nerves, and confessing to things that continued to eat away at his soul.

"Raito-kun is exhausted and wishes to continue his dialogue of this in the morning?" The 17-year-old singer nodded, glad the older man was not pushing him to continue on speaking, as was his custom.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

With those final words, L allowed the boy to take his leave, knowing that to push the boy anymore, would lead to nothing but more conflict and unproductive silence.

The sounds of water pounding against ceramic tile quietly echoed throughout the apartment ceasing all other thoughts within the onyx-haired detective as L rose from the bed, feeling quite exhausted himself.

'No more waiting, Raito… Not anymore.'

* * *

"Ngh…"

L blinked as he stared over at the slumbering figure beside him tossing about on the bed, restlessly feigning sleep. After the emotional turmoil of the day, L said nothing, allowing the boy to pretend all he wanted.

Looking down back at the papers resting around him on the bed, the insomniac lamented the loss of his laptop after arguing with Raito about the 'annoying clacking of keys' that seemingly kept him awake. L was tempted to just grab his computer and just work off that, but no doubt he would hear nothing but complaints from his already irritated companion.

Grabbing the folder on his farthest left side (where Raito was conveniently located), L gave the pop star one more glance, enjoying the way the dim light from the lamp beside him on the night table illuminated the smooth auburn colored locks and slightly slack jaw. The older man's fingers twitched, aching to feel that downy skin for himself.

Blinking out of his Raito-induced stupor, L opened the folder and concentrated on the page in front of him, staring down at the items giving him the worst of migraines.

'Damn flowers…'

Thumb within his mouth, L began to ruthlessly gnaw at the appendage in frustration. After all the analyses done on the plant life found within the crowns on top of the victim's heads, no foreign substances were found. And if that wasn't enough, the meaning behind each flower left more to uncovered as L began to scan what each one was said to represent.

_**Notes on the Plant Life found within each Crime Scene: **_

_**After a thorough examination on all of the crowns found at the crime scene, no harmful or suspicious substances were found within the flora, or used to cultivate the vegetation.**_

_**After a background check in accordance to your request, each flower's 'meaning' was researched. The results are posted here-**_

_**Crime Scene (A): Chrysanthemum (Yellow) - Commonly given through secret admirers, or those who wish to show their admiration. (Also known as the 'flower of death') **_

_**Crime Scene (B): Cosmo - Peace, or tranquility. Known to represent serenity within individuals. **_

_**Crime Scene ( C): Hydrangea - Perseverance in acquisition of something or someone.**_

_**Crime Scene (D): Orchid - Delicate beauty within an individual; could be either physical or emotional. **_

_**Crime Scene (E): Daisy - Innocence, or purity. **_

_**Crime Scene (F): Heather - Solitude, shown in accordance of the person's self or the one being given to. **_

_**Crime Scene (G): Iris - Inspiration sparked by someone or something. **_

_**After matching these in accordance to the crime scenes, no DNA is found within the flora, nor any decay within the plants themselves, indicating that the plantation itself was fresh and picked that same day, possibly within the same hour. **_

L stopped reading, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. None of it made any sense, at least, not to the common mind. L realized that whoever had done this, wanted him to know _exactly_ who it was.

But what the hell did flowers have to do with anything.

'At least, these kinds of flowers…' L thought to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

Though it was possible…

'This is leading up to something. These deaths are nothing but the prelude to what this murderer really wants to exhibit.' L put down the files, placing his chin against his raised legs. 'Chances of the person behind this knowing of my true identity; 73 percent.'

L's shadowed gaze slowly wandered towards the person next to him, sensing his confusion bubbling up once again.

'Yet if this is true…' The sugar-addicted insomniac sighed as he unfurled his legs and laid back against the bed, facing the teenage sensation who entertained millions. 'What would they want with Raito?'

Eyes slowly closed as L left the calculations and connecting puzzle pieces within the back of his mind, concentrating solely on the comforting heat beside him and the weariness permeating throughout his body as he drifted off into his own sleepy dreams.

'What _could_ they want with Raito…?'

* * *

"_You're going to be fine." _

_Raito smirked as he stared at Mikami once again straighten his tie and dust off his very expensive, Armani suit. He himself was only wearing a white button-up and a pair of fitted khakis, laughing at the sight of his boyfriend so dolled up for an evening with his parents. _

"_I can't believe you actually expected me to come casually-dressed." Mikami scoffed, raking a hand through his already-immaculate hair. "I don't want to give your parents a bad impression of me when we first meet." _

_The amused brunette rolled his eyes, smiling without repent as he sat on top of his boyfriend's bureau as regally as he could. "Yeah, because seeing you in an Armani suit whilst strolling out of a bright red Lamborghini with their son hanging off your arm isn't going to make them think badly of you whatsoever." _

_Mikami blinked. _

"_Should I bring the Mercedes instead?" _

_Raito sweat dropped, knowing his boyfriend had missed the point entirely. (Whether intentional or not, Raito preferred not to know) _

"_Have you even told them of you're… err… __**preferences**__, Raito?" The bespectacled man asked as carefully as he could, giving up on his hair as he turned to stare at his partner. _

_Raito blushed as he began to play with the sleeve of his shirt, refusing to meet Mikami's gaze. _

"_I'm guessing that's a no, then." Mikami smirked slyly as Raito blushed even brighter than before. _

"_I just… my father already disapproves of my lifestyle as a musical artist!" Raito jumped off the bureau, face still as red as a tomato. "I don't expect him to approve my tastes in lovers either, Teru, whether they happen to be men or women. I'm just worse off since they happen to be men."_

"_So this is your way of coming out?" Mikami smiled as Raito nodded meekly. "Then it's a good thing I wore the Armani, then. Brings out the color of my eyes and wallet…" _

_Raito stomped his foot against the floor, glaring angrily at his boyfriend. Mikami simply laughed before grabbing onto his lover, not surprised when Raito did not push him away. _

"_Teru! You honestly think my father cares about that? He's a police officer for Kami's sakes!" The older man shrugged, shamelessly ogling his boyfriend's behind from over the brunette's shoulder. "Money talks, honey, especially when it comes to the older crowd. He'll be putty in my hands…" _

"_Not with my dad." The 16-year-old musician muttered as he leaned into his boyfriend's embrace, eyes closing in exhaustion as the young boy thought of what was to come. "Not with my dad…"_

"_I'm sure it'll be fine. I've overthrown even the most annoying of homophobes." Raito rolled his eyes as his lover chuckled before pulling out of the hold and striking a dramatic pose. "What? Don't think I have it in me to take on your dad? I handle money-hungry producers and bratty wannabe-musicians on a daily basis. Your father should be a piece of cake compared to all of that." _

"_You would think." The future-pop star smiled as he dug his hands within his pockets, laughing at his boyfriend's antics. Mikami winked before grabbing his boyfriend's hand and pulling him forward, landing a small kiss on the edge of his mouth. _

"_I know… everything is going to be just fine. I promise." _

* * *

"_Err…" _

_Mikami smiled as he bowed, barely looking affected by the situation at hand. Raito attempted to smile as well, but a grimace overcame his features as the scowl on his father's face deepened along with the tension seeping within the room. _

"_Hello. It's very nice to meet you, Yagami-san. My name is Mikami Teru, and I am a corporate executive producer at your son's label." _

_Soichirou's eye twitched at the introduction, his frown spreading across his face even further as the smile on Mikami's face barely even twitched. _

"_How… charming." Soichirou sarcastically replied, causing Raito to almost flinch at the harshness in his father's tone. _

_Still, Mikami's smile didn't dissolve in the least._

"_Well, I'll just check on dinner." Sachiko hesitantly smiled herself before excusing herself from the room, making her way into the kitchen. _

"_Sir, I have to say-"_

"_Just who the hell do you think you are," Soichirou interrupted before Mikami could continue, eyes blazing with righteous anger. "Coming into my house and acting as if I would care about what you have to say. Raito knows how I feel about his choice in careers and I doubt you would come here to try to win me over for any purpose when he's of age." _

"_You're right." Mikami spoke in all seriousness, knowing that this would not go over well as soon as the hard glint turned steely within the older man's eyes. "This doesn't have anything to do about business." _

"_Oh?" The older Yagami blinked, swiveling his gaze over to his still-silent son. "Then why are you here?" _

_Raito then stepped forward, his face burning brightly as the bespectacled man stepped back, waiting for the suddenly shy brunette to say what he had to say. _

"_Dad… we have to talk." _

* * *

"_What the hell were you thinking bringing that man into my home?" _

_Soichirou glared at his son, the maliciousness of his gaze hitting the poor boy straight on. Raito slumped over the couch, not even able to look his father in his eye. _

"_He isn't just some random __**guy**__, dad." Raito leaned back up, braving the sight of his furious father as he gripped the handle of his backpack and suitcase. "And I refuse to listen to you speak about him that way." _

"_He's just using you, Raito!" The older Yagami flailed his arms into the air, frustrated by his son's lack of understanding of the situation. "That pedophile doesn't give two shits about you! As soon as some other naïve child comes walking into his studio, he'll drop you in a second!"_

"_Maybe…" Raito smirked, hefting his stuff up as he walked over towards the front door. "But at least I can say I took the chance and didn't simper around like a pathetic little puppy." _

"_You are honestly going to choose that fagot over your family." _

_Raito's back stiffened, his anger automatically piqued once again. _

"_If that's the ultimatum you're giving me…" Raito grabbed the door's handle and strolled out of the house towards his boyfriend's car, leaving the fuming figure of his father's silhouette within the home he now had no choice but to leave behind. "Then I can't really bring myself to regret what I'm about to do, now can I?" _

* * *

_Raito stared into the hospital's bathroom mirror, not sure if he could believe what had happened himself. His father stared over at him, sorrow masked within his mahogany depths as the cuts and bruises decorating his cheeks began to sting from the tears pouring down his own set of eyes. _

"_They said he died almost instantly." _

_Soichirou looked down at the ground, his shame pouring out in waves. _

"_They said that it must have been agonizing, even if it was for a second." _

_Still the older man kept his gaze to the ground, knowing that anything he said now would be for naught. _

"_They said… they said he could have been saved." _

"_Raito…" Soichirou's voice, hoarse from hours of crying, echoed throughout the empty hospital room. "I…" _

"_You told me as a child, that out of all of the principles you held as a police officer, you dedicated yourself to justice the most." Raito traced one of the many cuts decorating his now bare shoulder, the bluish-purple bruises standing out against his tan expanse of skin. "They destroyed us both, and yet no one said a God damned thing about it. So tell me father…" _

_A pair of broken molten amber eyes turned towards the older man now staring at his son's decimated complexion, regret chocking the words now blocked within older officer's throat. _

"_Where's the justice in that?" _

* * *

Eyes blurred over as tears once again threatened to fall out of the weary gaze vacantly staring up at the ceiling.

Raito turned over, not that surprised to the spot within the spacious bed empty. Hands traced over the cooling spot, knowing that it was probably hours that the space had been left empty, yet still feeling a bit remorseful of the fact.

The dim morning light began to peek through the bedroom's thin window curtains, causing the boy's mind to become much more conscious.

'L…'

Without realizing it, Raito's hand bumped against the notebook laying down on the night table beside him, surprising himself at the cool feel of the leather exterior. Blinking, the boy hefted himself up from his prone position and stared down at his journal, wondering.

'There's so much on my mind that I wish I could tell you…'

Hands gently picked up the mass of binding and paper, tracing the cover endearingly. Really, there was so much tossing and turning within his own mind, and yet Raito had no idea how to phrase what he wanted to say.

'But how do I tell you without killing what's left of me?'

A spark ignited within the still sleepy brunette's mental processes as he glanced over at the spot L had at one time during the night inhabited.

'How…?'

Quickly, so as to not lose his inspiration whilst he still had it, Raito grabbed the pen that was lying next to the notebook, opening up to most recently available page and began to write without abandon.

_**Wandering down a ruined path**_

_**On an endless road to nowhere-**_

_**Breaking down inside myself**_

_**As the truth hangs over my head. **_

_**Leaving you with so many**_

_**Unanswered questions. **_

_**I wish I could have told you…**_

_**I only had the best of intentions.**_

_**Don't let me lose myself**_

_**To these never-ending glowing lights.**_

_**Forget all the 'what-could-have-been's'**_

_**And lift me from these damning depths.**_

_**I've encased myself in this gilded glass**_

_**Without thinking of the consequences…**_

_**What's left of me has shattered, **_

_**Leaving you with nothing but broken pieces. **_

'Pieces…' Raito looked down at the word, pen stalling in its rapid succession of flowing ink. 'Is that really what's become of me? Just pieces of what I used to be?'

As Raito's finger's clenched against the cool metal of the writing utensil, he continued on writing, knowing in some small region of space within his mind…

_**Don't let me lose myself-**_

Even if he wished otherwise-

_**Be there for me, even when I try to run. **_

And God knew he wished otherwise…

_**Believe me, even if I say otherwise-**_

It was true.

_**You are my only o-**_

"Raito-kun?"

Raito ceased all movement, hearing his name echoing from the hallway through his open doorway. Without a second thought, the 17-year-old quickly shoved his notebook within the night table's drawer and shut it as quietly as he could.

Still weary from exhaustion, the teenage pop star stretched out his aching muscles as the hunched over figure he had come to know as the greatest detective in the world wandered into the room with very little enthusiasm.

"Yeah, L?" Raito hesitantly answered back, feet hitting the floor in a swift movement from barely-awake to full-drive.

"We shall have to make haste in our conversation." L sat down at the bed, watching the boy's back slump at the reminder of his end of the bargain from the night before. "I am afraid that we shall be entertaining visitors in but a few hours."

"What?" Raito blinked as he turned to face the detective, not sure whether or he was serious or not. They had been investigating for over a week now, and neither had even spoken to anyone that wasn't Watari, let alone considered the notion. "Who…?"

L could sense the brunette's hesitation, being able to reflect the same feeling within himself.

"A pair of officers I have worked with prior, and who are currently working on this case now." The dark-haired man stared at the singer beside him on the bed, now staring at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing within the room. "They shall be briefing us on their own findings."

Raito nodded, barely lifting his head up to do so.

"I understand that Raito-kun feels insecure and uncomfortable with speaking to me of this problem, but-"

"Talking about how your lover died is never an easy thing to do, L." Raito deadpanned, giving L the blankest stare he could muster. "Especially…"

"Especially?" L echoed back, sick of playing the same old game with the boy, yet understanding a bit more just why he was so hesitant to speak of such things. The insomniac detective had never been that patient, nor empathetic with others for that matter, yet this one singer inspired things within him he had never actually **felt** before.

Raito sighed, too tired to even evade anymore.

"Especially when it happened right in front of your face."

L stared at the boy with large onyx eyes, once again slightly shocked at the admission.

"… Should I just start at the beginning and go from there?"

The sugar-addicted detective nodded dumbly, knowing after this moment, he would most likely have all the information he would need to wrap this case up. L ignored the gurgle in his stomach at the thought of finishing off the case…

'He'll no longer need you after this…'

L began to nibble on his thumb in earnest, throwing all of his attention to the singer still speaking.

"Well then, let's begin with a dream had by a certain brown-eyed teenager with just a guitar in one hand and a notebook full of lyrics in the other…"

* * *

Many thanks to Kitsune55 for the info on the Chrysanthemum (Death flower?! I didn't even know that! Damn you research for not letting me know...) and for beta-ing as well! She's a superstar! ((Watches too much Saturday Night Live)) XD

I think next chapter shall be made of pure gold. And maybe some diamonds, just because they're a girl's (Or guy's... C'mon, who doesn't love diamonds?!) best friend. Lol! See?! More is being revealed! Now let me hear some predictions! Give me your best shot! Oh, wait... DAMN IT! I've got to stop doing that! Lol!

Disclaimer: Once again, nothing to really disclaim. Lyrics are mine, and plot is shared with Kitsune55. Well... I guess the information on the flowers isn't really mine. Would you like me to disclaim that? Lol! Considered it disclaimed.


	11. Reliving the Lie

**_Warning_**: References to both violence and rape in this and later chapters.

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Eleven: _Reliving the Lie_

* * *

"A boy with a dream, Raito-kun says?" L tried not to smirk at the apparently forced wistfulness within his temporary partner's tone, but once that small, yet still very genuine, smile bloomed over Raito's lips, L knew he himself would not be able to hold it within.

"Yeah. You got a problem with my dreams, Mr. World's Greatest Detective?" Raito snapped back, the smile firmly implanted on his face for the time being.

"Of course not, Raito-kun." L felt the corners of his lips twitch faintly at the sight of the grinning boy, knowing that that smile was temporary at best. "I was simply affirming the very things Raito-kun himself stated by reiterating them."

The pop star rolled his eyes as he reclined back against the mattress, memories clouding his molten amber gaze. The scraggly detective sat down on the farthest side of the bed, legs pulled up as bare feet dug into the pure white sheets covering the bed.

Luckily, Raito was too into his thoughts to actually say anything about this.

"I always wanted to be a musician." The singer began, arms coming up behind his head in a faux-attempt at relaxation. "There was never any doubt or question on what I would do once I was big enough to hold a guitar and pluck at its strings or sit down in front of a piano and play. I wanted to create something that was my own, and that would inspire people to do the same."

"My parents knew that once I put my mind to something, I would do whatever possible to achieve success. My father, the person most against my career as a musician, thought it was all a phase, so he never said much about as long as my grades were top notch and I kept my mouth shut. I think the trouble really started," Raito's eyes glistened as he ruffled a hand through his smooth chestnut locks. "When I actually picked up the gall to go to an audition, and actually managed to get a call back."

* * *

"_Where are you going, Raito?" Sachiko blinked as her son came barreling down the stairs, his guitar case in one hand and his knapsack in the other. _

"_I've got a big audition in an hour, and I'm running late!" Raito cried out as he tried to straightenand smooth down his disheveled auburn locks whilst simultaneously pulling his knapsack over his shoulder. _

"_Really?!" The aging mother grinned as she quickly turned to her son before brushing off his clothes and practically pushing him out of the door. "Well, you look fine. Do you have your notebook?"_

"_Yeah…"_

_" Is your guitar actually in the guitar case?"_

_Raito blushed as he shifted uneasily by the door. Run out the door for an important event thinking you had your guitar with you and forgetting to check **one time**, and they never let you live it down... _

"_That was a one time thing, mom! It's in there!" _

"_Do you know which song you're going to sing, then?" _

"_I think I'm going to sing "Piecing Together"." A pair of wide cinnamon-brown eyes turned towards their mother, looking for some sort of affirmation in their choice. Though Raito was known to be one of the most independent teenagers most adults had ever had the pleasure of meeting, he was still so vulnerable and naive... It made Sachiko smile to know that that part of her son's innocence was still intact. "Do you think that's a good choice? This is a really big label I'm auditioning for, after all. No amateur stuff today." _

"_Of course it's perfect, Rai-chan!" Sachiko gently ran a hand once more through the boy's hair, enjoying the flush lighting up her son's face. "You'll do just fine."_

"_Do you think that maybe… this could just stay between us for now?" The hesitance clouding her son's features almost broke the poor mother's heart as she smiled sadly, knowing just how much her boy was banking on this chance and just what her husband would do to destroy it. Without a second thought, the words flew from her mouth, comforting her son within seconds._

"_Of course, Raito. Anything for you." _

* * *

"_Ahem." _

_Raito cleared his throat as he sat down on the stool, clammy palms gripping his guitar as the sharply dressed man crossed his arms and reclined back on his chair, notepad in one hand and pen in the other. _

"_I've heard a lot about you, Yagami-san. I must say, you've produced a lot of hype…" The blonde-haired man turned up his sharp nose, his self-importance pouring over the nervous artist in waves. "But what I would like to know is if you're the real deal, or just the name of the day." _

"_I've got what it takes to take it to the next level." The singer reassured, ready to prove his worth. "I know you'll be satisfied with what you hear from me." _

"_Hm. What will you be singing for me today, Yagami-san?" The young looking executive quirked up his eyebrow as he crossed his legs, eyes sizing up the young 15-year-old in front of them with pure intensity._

"_I'll be performing a song I wrote myself called 'Piecing Together.'" Raito ignored the sweat pouring down the back of his neck, hand twitching to swipe at the condensation developing over his golden skin. _

"_Alright. You may begin." _

_The young man nodded before taking a deep breath and positioning his fingers over the guitar, trying to look as casual as possible. _

"_**I've thought of **_

_**The larger Picture.**_

_**Where the truth ends**_

_**And the lie begins. **_

_**A mirror has broken **_

_**My own perception**_

_**Of what exactly**_

_**Constructs our make believe."**_

_The man blinked as Raito continued to sing, the chords of the song smoothly connecting together whilst the words streamed beautifully from Raito's silky tenor. _

_Sepia eyes clouded over as the music filled the boy's being, leaving behind the executive staring adamantly at him and floating in a place only he knew. _

"_**Piecing together**_

_**The last of your thoughts**_

_**Was all it took**_

_**To kill what was left."**_

"_Ano…" This was all the man needed to hear to know that this kid was definitely the real deal. His jaw dropped as Raito continued on, not even acknowledging his shocked face in the least. _

"_**It's taking over-**_

_**This thing inside of me."**_

'_This kid definitely has potential…'_

"_**I've finally become-"**_

'_Give me six months, and we'll have a __**star**__.'_

_**The monster you believe…"**_

* * *

"_When were you planning on telling me about this, when you already signed the contracts and moved out of Japan?" _

_Raito said nothing, packing up his guitar within his guitar case whilst throwing his notebook inside his knapsack. Soichirou glared down at the boy, mouth twitching with the urge to frown even deeper and more fierce than it already was. _

"_I can't believe you're actually doing this." The older man harshly whispered, as the boy didn't even deign to glance towards his direction. _

"_You're throwing away your future." _

_Raito locked the case._

"_We've already had that discussion."_

_Soichirou clenched his fists._

"_You're just giving away your pride." _

_Raito stood up, grabbing both his bag and case in both hands. _

"_I have no more pride left to give away anyway." _

_Soichirou trembled, his anger palpable within the small confines of the 15-year-old's room._

"_You're making yourself the fool." _

_Raito shrugged, walking towards the door in a languid stride that seemed more natural than anything._

"_You've already stated that I'm a fool, so I guess I can't be all that more foolish, now can I?" _

_Soichirou said nothing more as the boy made his way out of the room and down the stairs, footsteps echoing throughout the now vacant home. The weary father slumped down on his son's bed wondering just where he went wrong. _

* * *

_Raito could only stare up at the large building in complete and utter awe, wondering once more just what a major label could want with someone like him. _

_His father's words drifted over him as he gulped, every negative comment sticking out like sore thumbs in his memory banks. _

'_Don't think that way… your lyrics are the best… your tunes are magnificent… you're going to take over the world…' _

_The teenager nodded to himself, the crowds of people swarming around him disappearing in his eyes as he strode forward, eyes set on the prize._

* * *

"_Hello there." _

_Raito shifted uncomfortably in his seat as a tall dark-haired man with glasses sat next to him, smiling gently at the young boy who looked no older than 15 or 16 years of age. _

"_Hi." _

"_You seem nervous." The man continued to smile as the boy shifted once again, a guitar case lying next to his feet as he cradled what seemed to be a journal close to his chest. _

"_I've never done this before, so…" Raito turned away from the older man, not liking the feeling of anxiousness that arose within himself at feeling of the stranger's gaze upon his person. _

"_I think you're the youngest person they've ever called in for a call-back. You should be quite proud of yourself for not being nervous out of your mind." The young brunette nodded absently as he gripped his journal even tighter, wishing this day would finally come to an end. _

"_If you've gotten this far, then I'm sure they won't just throw you out without giving you a proper chance." The dark-haired professional remarked, tilting his head as Raito turned to face him once more. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" _

"_Err… Yagami Raito." The teen blushed as the smile seemed to stretch across the older man's lips, his eyes brightening in response. "And you are…?" _

"_Oh, I'm sorry. That's pretty rude of me. Mikami Teru. It's very nice to meet you, Yagami-san." Mikami stood up, making his way up to the receptionist as another professional-looking individual walked out and greeted him amicably. _

"_Save me an autograph, Yagami-san!" _

_Raito blushed once more, this one out of mortification rather than shyness as the other people within the room turned their heads to ogle at him directly. _

"_Yeah… I'll be sure to do that." _

_Mikami gave the boy one last smile before disappearing behind the door in front of him, leaving the boy to fend off the rude stares by himself. _

* * *

L stared at the boy, mouth nibbling on his thumb as the boy took a deep breath, tired of everything; his past, his career, his words…

Even himself.

"So this man… named Mikami?" L pretended not to notice the flinch Raito gave at the sound of the other man's name. "Was he the man you…?"

Raito looked down at his hands, remembering once more as L faded back into the backdrop and his past took a hold of him once again…

* * *

"_Don't we look lost?" _

_Raito blushed, holding his guitar close to his chest as he closed the door of the recording studio behind him. The same man that had greeted him the first time he had entered the corporate offices now sat before him, smiling him with a geniality that caused the boy to flush even further. _

"_You're… a producer here?" _

'_That can not be my voice.' Raito internally banged his head against a wall as the unfamiliar squeaky tone left his mouth before he could stop it, the grin on the other man's face simply widening in response. _

"_Yes." Mikami stated, getting up with a grace that beguiled the younger teen. "And they've given me six months to get you into tip-top shape." _

"_What's wrong with me as I am?" The fire within Raito's eyes suddenly ignited as the older man laughed, grasping the notebook against him with a tight-fisted clench. _

"_Absolutely nothing." Mikami backtracked a bit, his mirth still apparent in the way he stared at the teen. "We just need to prepare you for what's to come, and maybe tone you a little to today's youth as opposed to just adults. You've got a pretty mature head on your shoulders, you know." _

"_So you want me to dumb down my lyrics?" The irritated brunette glared at the man, not caring for the words in the least. "That's something I can't do. No… that's putting it lightly. It's something I __**won't **__do. You can tell your bosses if that's a problem, I have no obligations to them at this time and I won't hesitate to walk out that door and never turn back." _

"_Hm…" The bespectacled man nodded before tilting his head to the side. "Then I guess we'll just have to convince the higher-ups of that as well, now won't we?" _

_Raito faltered for a moment, surprised by the man's even stare. "You're not…?"_

"_I've heard you before. And I've seen you on stage." Mikami turned around, quickly scouring through a few portfolios before coming up with the one he was looking for. "I was one of the people advocating for your place in our label, actually." _

"_Uh…" The pretty brunette almost dropped his notebook in shock, a dumbfounded look implanted directly on his face. _

"_They'd have to be idiots not to accede to your demands, considering you're one of the few people in this building that actually __**has**__ talent, let alone pretend that they do. Remember that when you finalize your contract." Mikami stated before plopping down in one the chairs and gesturing for Raito to do the same, the portfolio open across his lap. "But let's leave all that talk for later and let's work on what could be improved in your act first and foremost. You're voice isn't what so much concerns me as does your stage presence."_

_"Stage presence?" Raito echoed, feeling the slight sting of critiscism prick at his ego. "People love me on stage..."_

_"Love you, yes. Adore you, though? Willing to **kill** someone just to touch you, though?" Mikami scoffed, turning his head to the side as he blew his bangs away from his eyes. "No. Now pay attention. You'll need to hear this if you actually want to make it past month number one." _

_Raito said nothing more before sitting beside the dark-haired man, wondering just what this guy beside him seemed to have to gain by wanting to back him, of all people. He had never met Raito before, and yet here he was already coaching the cinnamon-eyed boy on how to succeed without knowing if Raito was actually going to stay with his label or not. Raito wasn't anything special; at least, not in the music world. _

_'At least... not **yet**.' The fidgety brunette thought to himself as Mikami shifted a bit closer to him than before. _

"_So your stance… it's too stand-offish." Mikami began, grabbing a pen and scribbling a few things on the paper without even really thinking about them. "It almost looks as though you're trying to back away from the crowd instead of move towards them…" _

_The young boy nodded, turning his gaze towards the picture of himself on stage, missing the fond glance sent his direction from behind glass-shielded eyes. _

_"If you want to make an impression, you've got to move forward and make the first move... otherwise, how else will they ever know you actually **want** to be there with them? Being there is the first step, but if you want to close the deal," Mikami whispered within Raito's ear, not noticing how red it became at the small bit of contact. "Then you just have to reach for them. Then, it's all easy-riding from there." _

_Raito gulped inaudibly, feeling the intensity of his producer's gaze behind his bespecactled gaze. _

_'Just what is it that I'm getting myself into?' _

* * *

"_**This road of redemption has given way, **_

_**To this highway of destruction **_

_**And truth long decayed. **_

_**Cradling what little **_

_**Is left of my humanity-**_

_**Giving up the most essential **_

_**Part of my sanity…**_

_**Stop me from making another stupid mistake. **_

_**Haven't I yet learned **_

_**From this past I have longed to erase?" **_

"_Stop! Stop! Stop!" _

_Raito suddenly slammed his headphones onto the ground, his face set into a vicious scowl as Mikami blinked, the shock he felt shared between himself and the two men alongside him._

"_This isn't my damn song! Somebody did something to it! It's different than what it was yesterday!"_

"_What…?" Mikami honestly looked confused as the two men beside him shifted uncomfortably within their seats. The bespectacled man stood up, stopping the music and checking the case of the track to make sure it was the song both he and Raito had been looking at the day before. "What the hell…" _

_And then it clicked. _

"_What the hell did you two do?" _

_Neither man could look the man straight in the eye. _

"_Well? I have an angry artist in my recording booth and you're about to have an equally pissed-off producer in here, so I suppose you should just tell me what you actually did before you end up with one less talent and one less producer." _

"_The original track is in my office." The younger of the two squeaked, eyes wide from both the threat and the death glare Raito was sending the sound booth. "I'll have one of my boy's send it to you tomorrow morning, bright and early." _

_The other man simply nodded, blankly staring at the artist in question. _

"_You know we need the both of you. We were simply trying to spruce up the kid's-"_

"_He doesn't need any 'sprucing' whatsoever, Tosei-san, Kirai-san." Mikami cut the 35-year-old man off before he could continue on, running a hand through his dark brown locks in frustration. "I've been working with him for almost three and a half months. I think I would know what would piss him off and what would not." _

"_We just wanted to check on his progress and see the look on his face when he heard the newest versions of his beats." Tosei sighed before standing up. "I'll personally make sure that track makes it back here safe and sound." _

_Both men stood up, waving at the still-fuming singer before nodding their goodbye's to the producer who no doubt was going to have an enraged songwriter/singer on his hands. _

"_You can come out now, Yagami-kun." Mikami gently spoke into the microphone, knowing the man couldn't hear him but would still get the message. _

_Raito stomped his way out of the recording booth, ready to give his producer a piece of his mind when a finger gently laid itself upon his lips, stopping his tirade before it had even begun. _

"_They're bringing the track back in tomorrow morning, no I did not know about it, and yes, I am just as angry as you are." Raito blushed, faltering in his words as Mikami continued to gaze down at him with amused eyes. _

"_Can we get back to work now?"_

* * *

"_Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" Mikami cried out, the boy sitting up against the grassy ground he laid upon, notebook falling off of his lap. _

"_Mikami-san?!" Raito blushed, shocked to see his usually business-dressed producer dressed so casually in a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt. "What… what are you doing here?!" _

"_To see you, of course." Mikami smiled as he strolled over to where his younger ward was sitting up, the boy still blushing as cutely as could be. "And you still haven't answered my question; why did you not tell me it was your birthday?" _

_Raito pulled his gaze down to the ground before turning away from the older man in front of him. _

"_I didn't think you would care about something stupid like that." _

_Mikami laughed before lowering himself down to Raito's level, gently grabbing his chin as he did so. _

"_Now you're being stupid, Yagami-kun." Mikami taunted slightly, chuckling as the pretty brunette boy scowled rather cutely. _

"_How many times do I have to ask you to call me Raito?" _

"_How many times do I have to tell you that I'll call you by your name when you call me by mine?" _

_The boy's frown slowly turned into a smile as the older man grinned, quite sure he had never been happier in his life. _

"_Nobody followed you, right?"Raito asked hesitantly, face inching closer as Mikami's did the same. _

"_No…" _

"_Good." Raito whispered before Mikami's lips captured his own. "That's the best birthday present you could've gotten me." _

* * *

"_You made the first move, obviously." Mikami stated as he turned on the ignition to the car, quite sure he would never set foot into Raito's parent's home even if God himself came down from the heavens and pleaded for him to do so. "So you only have yourself to blame, lover." _

"_I did not!" Raito crossed his arms, still in a fowl mood. "You did!" _

"_Did I?" The Armani-dressed man smirked as Raito flushed, memories of their first kiss rushing forth. "And who backed who into a wall, basically shoving their tongue down the other's throat?" _

"… … _You didn't complain about it at the time." The musician turned his eyes out towards the window, cheeks flaming a crushed scarlet red. _

"_Oh, trust me, I didn't then and I'm not now." Mikami smiled gently as the boy's blush receded, leaving nothing but a forlorn frown on the teen's smooth face. "But I think expecting that your parents would automatically throw a party in you and your gay lover's honor was probably too much to hope for, Raito."_

"_Do you have to joke about everything?" Raito snapped, ready to pull his boyfriend's head off. "This is not some queer version of 'Punk'd'. My father was being completely serious back there. And I was completely prepared for the worst…"_

"_Really?" Mikami glanced at the boy skeptically. "And that crushed look on your face as you slammed the door? All an act, I presume, my tough little soldier, you?" _

"_Teru…" _

"_I'm just saying, it's going to take more than one day to get past this hurtle, especially since I'm a good ten years older than you." Raito rolled his eyes. "Hey, my parents weren't exactly all rainbows and full of excitement when I told them I was gay. But we're ok now." _

_The boy pouted, playing with his fingers as he kept his gaze on the window next to him. _

"_Really?" _

_Mikami smiled. _

"_It'll get better. I swear." _

* * *

"_Raito, are you ready yet?!"_

_The singer came flouncing down the steps, dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a designer white shirt. Mikami frowned playfully as his boyfriend ran a hand through his caramel colored locks, a brilliant grin stretched across his face. _

"_I'm right here!" _

"_Looking good as usual, of course." Raito rolled his eyes as he grabbed the older man's arm and practically pulled them out the door. _

"_It's the only reason I'm hanging off your arm, isn't it?" _

"_Of course." Mikami opened the door before implanting a small kiss on the corner of the 16-year-old's mouth. "I'm all for arm candy, ya know." _

"_Duh." _

* * *

"Raito-kun?"

The dead look within his friend's eyes actually managed to produce something far more heavier than disdainfulness for this Mikami character. The boy's jaw clenched as he fell back against the mattress, eyes closed as his lips began to tremble.

"Raito-kun…"

"We didn't even make it to the car…"

* * *

_Raito blinked at the sight of all the masked men surrounding them, moving closer to his boyfriend in response. _

"_Who…" _

"_Are you… Yagami Raito and Mikami Teru?" One of the men forefront asked, not even looking the least bit hesitant._

"_What's it to you?" Mikami stated, keeping himself in front of the teenage boy. _

* * *

"They just came out of nowhere."

* * *

"… _nothing all that much."_

_All that was all that was said as a fist came flying forefront, catching the older man completely off-guard. _

* * *

"I tried to say _something_, but…"

* * *

_Raito stood paralyzed as Mikami's head hit the corner of a wall, blood making itself apparent as the man's eyes began to roll up in the back of his head. Staring at his lover's still bleeding head, Raito almost missed the flash of silver on his right side before-_

* * *

"I just couldn't."

* * *

_That sickening crack, along with the look on his lover's face as he dropped down onto the ground would stay with the 16-year-old for the rest of his god forsaken life. _

* * *

"Was that all that happened that night, Raito-kun?" L blinked as the boy shuddered before turning on his side, away from the detective staring at him.

"Do I really need to say?"

* * *

"_What do we do with the kid?" _

"_Yeah… he looks like a squealer." _

"_Should we cap him?" _

"_Nah…" _

_The one who had spoken first grinned, his dark hair glistening against the dim lit street lights._

* * *

L's fist clenched against his legs as the implications of just **what** happened to the boy himself were quite loud and clear.

'Why he couldn't kiss me... why he's so obsessed with cleanliness... why he keeps to himself, even when he doesn't want to...'

It all connected together so neatly, L wanted to discard the idea even as he realized how inanely obvious it all was.

"Raito-kun…"

* * *

"_I've got something special for him in mind." _

* * *

"We were found an hour later by one of our neighbors coming back from a party or something." Raito kept his gaze forward, taking in deep breaths as to not hyperventilate.

"Raito-kun, you are ignoring my question."

"One of the guys began to ask somebody questions afterwards, thinking I was fully unconscious…" Raito was on automatic, tuning out L completely as the words just simply slipped out from his lips.

* * *

"_So who do we tell that the deed's done?" A clunky guy standing close to Raito's abused body coughed as he turned towards one of the other's, their leading man having left as soon as the final deed has been done._

"_Uh… some Yaga… Yagami guy, I think." _

_Raito screwed his eyes together, for the first time in his life praying to any God that could hear him to prove this was a lie. _

"_Wait… Yagami? Isn't that that kid's name, too?" _

_The other man laughed, snorting in response. "He just wanted us to 'take care' of that Mikami guy. Rough him up a little or something, just to scare him I guess. Probably should have told him the boss don't do anything halfway." _

"_I almost feel bad for the poor kid…" _

_More laughter bubbled up from the other man's throat as Raito felt the sting of tears burn his eyes. _

"_Almost, but not quite." _

* * *

"I don't remember going to the hospital." The hoarse whisper came out unbidden, resonating within the stoic man's chest. "I don't remember the paramedics and doctors examining me…"

"I just remember the look on my father's face when he came in to see me the next day."

* * *

"_I did not mean for this to happen, Raito." _

"_Of course not."_

"_Raito…"_

"_So tell me, who was it you hired to 'rough us up'. I would love to know." _

"_Don't do this to yourself." _

"_I'm not."_

"…"

"_You did." _

"_I…" _

"_He could've been saved."_

"_Raito…"_

"_He didn't have to die. They said that he didn't have to die! The man you chose killed him, and they said you should've known better, and he didn't… he didn't… You did this." _

"_Raito, please, as much as I hated what you were doing to yourself-" _

"_You killed him. You did this to me. And now… I can never have him back." _

* * *

"So did you learn anything about the case you didn't already know?"

The cold tone did not shake L in the least as he nibbled on his thumb, knowing Raito was only careening from the aftereffects of reliving such horrible memories.

"Are you satisfied?" The question sliced through the air, causing L to almost flinch in response.

"That is an idiotic question to ask, Raito-kun. Even in the state you are currently in."

Raito said nothing more, the tense silence killing any sort of tranquility the room held previous to their conversation. The gangly detective silently stood up, noting the way the boy refused to meet his eyes and moved towards the door.

"I shall be in the living room once Raito-kun feels he has had enough to recoup."

The brunette pop star curled himself into a tight ball as the door quietly closed shut, eyes brimming with unshed tears that Raito knew would never fall.

"_My words are going to save the world someday…"_

_**What the hell was I thinking?**_

* * *

Disclaimer: Nothing new, really. All the lyrics were mine. Ha! Take that lawyers who are not even reading this fanfic! I win!

Many thanks to Kitsune55 who beta'd this chapter! We're actually getting close to the end, and for that, I am sad. But along with the end, comes the answers to all of your questions. There is still so much to be uncovered... Mwahahahahahaha ((cough)) Yeah. Thanks for reading!


	12. Working Through the Breakdown

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Twelve: _Working Through the Breakdown_

* * *

"L?"

Watari glanced over at the young man curled into a fetal position against the furthest corner of the couch, staring adamantly at the door which no doubt held Yagami Raito, the only man Watari had seen thus far that had been able to subdue the world's three greatest detectives.

"Do you require anything I could get for you, sir?" Watari's genial voice bounced off the walls, doing nothing to lighten the load on L's shoulders as he hunched over his knees even further.

"I do not need anything at this moment, Watari. Please take your leave." The older man internally cringed at the sound of the familiar tone of L's monotone, echoing back to years of apathetic solitude that the elderly gentlemen had thought the detective had finally gotten over.

"Of course," Was the mustached man's immediately reply, wincing at the thought of leaving L alone when he was so clearly distressed about something. "I did not mean to disturb you in your thoughts, sir."

Though the comment was made without thinking, L still felt the sting behind the older man's words nonetheless.

"I shall be in the kitchen if you need me, L."

With that, Watari left the 25-year-old detective with his own thoughts once again.

* * *

"_Is it almost time yet?!" _Ryuuk huffed as he did a handstand, bored out of his mind. One of the many reasons he stuck with this particular human was because of his _interesting_ habits. Yet, the party could only last for so long before things got boring again…

"I'm just setting everything up for our guests, Ryuuk." The dark-haired man grinned as he patted the fresh sheets against the bed, his eyes gleaming with strange delight. "Wouldn't want them to be uncomfortable once they got here, now would we?"

Ryuuk chuckled as he flipped over, his gangly body stretching upwards in response. _"But when…" _

"Soon…" The mysterious man glanced down at his watch, ruby red eyes glittering in anticipation. He would finally have them both in his grasp… "Trust me, Ryuuk. This is going to be so much _fun_."

The disheveled stranger slouched towards his desk as he began to rearrange some items, grabbing onto the dark leather-bound journal as he did so. Opening it to its first page, the words seemed to bounce off the paper and into his imagination as he re-read the words he had come to memorize so long ago.

_**There are days within this place that I feel suffocated, and just want to hide within my room and never come out. All those eyes on me…**_

_**Is wanting to be the next in line worth all of this?**_

Crimson eyes shut as the pale man leaned back against the chair, soaking in the validity of the words.

'Well, L? After years of trying to be something we both aren't…' He wondered to himself, feeling as if it was all the hard work he had put into this was finally coming to a head. 'Was it?'

The man smiled as he snapped the journal shut and threw it on the desk before grabbing his jacket along with his package and slowly walking out the door, pushing a cap over his head as Ryuuk followed.

Grinning with morbid glee, Ryuuk laughed insanely, eyes glued to the numbers perched just above the human's head.

'_Interesting indeed…'_

* * *

Raito stared over at the door, minutes counting by as he attempted to re-collect himself.

'The words…'

Without realizing it, his hands began to grope around the bed surrounding the young songwriter, waiting for the feel of leather and metal to meet their fingertips.

'Nightstand… It's on the nightstand.'

Knowing he was going to hate himself for it later on, Raito carefully unfurled himself off the bed and slouched his way towards the nightstand on the other side of the bed. A gleaming black cover taunted his sight as the pen he had been grasping onto merely an hour ago lay a couple inches off to the side, ready to roll off the small table completely.

'Gotcha.'

Hands gently caressed the leather-bound exterior of the notebook, knowing that if there was one thing in this world that would never let him down, it was a smooth piece of paper with nothing but his own thoughts and words.

'Something that's mine… something that no one can take away from me… something… something I can love, and not be afraid of.'

"_**Would it have been so wrong**_

_**To have actually let you in?**_

_**I wish I had the answer,**_

_**But I doubt I ever will. **_

_**We have such little time left,**_

_**Of that, I am sure."**_

Raito stared down at the piece of paper, knowing what he wanted to write, and yet not wanting to actually put it down.

'Oh God…'

The pen fell from his fingers, rolling of the side of the bed unnoticed.

'This can't be possible.'

And it was then that Yagami Raito, also known as 'Light' to his many, many fans around the world, faced the revelation that had been dangling over his head from the moment he had first laid eyes on the scraggly man who had quite literally broke into his life and pushed himself into the sanctity of his most sacred of places. (No pun intended, Raito thought mockingly to himself even as his hand twitched in discomfort at the memory of L 'stealthily' sneaking into his bathroom _whilst he was still in the damn shower_.)

Shock permeated the pop star's being as he laid back down against the warmth of his comfortable bed, closing his eyes in an ill attempt to focus solely on sleep.

'Everything I've never wanted to feel after all I've been through is coming back to me, isn't it?' Raito thought to himself as he finally gave up the inevitable battle that he had constantly been fighting in the back of his mind. The musician's thoughts continued to run at a rapid pace, even as his consciousness began to blur over from emotional exhaustion. 'Everything I wanted to keep inside is pouring over from all sides, and all because of a socially-retarded detective with mysophobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder…'

Despite himself, Raito felt a tiny smile quirk up against his lips as he lost himself within the welcoming oblivion of sleep and for once, though quite sure it was for naught, hoped to dream nothing but good dreams.

* * *

"_Raito?!" _

_The slim brunette blearily blinked as the banging against the door increased in volume, the sound of a familiar female voice calling him from outside. _

"_Raito, open the door! Raito!" _

'_Okaa-san…' _

_Feeling overly-sluggish, Raito picked himself up off the bathroom floor, not noticing the nearly empty bottle laying just a few feet away from his body. _

'_Why… why was I laying on the bathroom floor?' Almost tripping over his own feet, Raito carefully steadied himself against his wall so as to not fall. 'Where's Teru?' _

"_Raito, please, open the door!" _

_Feeling as if he were going to fall over, the 16-year-old leaned heavily against the wall as he slowly made his way to the bathroom door, which all of sudden seemed so far. _

_All Raito wanted to do was sleep…_

"_Raito!"_

_Hands clumsily grasping the handle, Raito finally snapped open the lock, eyes closing as he did so. The door quickly opened as his body slumped forward, leaving a blur of color in his darkening vision until all Raito could see was black. _

* * *

"_I'm sure he'll be fine… but he did cut it quite close, I must say." _

_Raito felt the sting of bright light behind his closed lids, wanting nothing more than to remain in his land of dreams and darkness. _

"_He overdosed on what I believe to be some sort of sleeping medication… do you know if he takes any?" _

"_Well…" _

"_Yagami-san?" _

"_He takes something called Esz... Esz… I'm sorry, I always forget the name. I know it begins with an 'E.'"_

"… _Eszopiclone?" _

"_I… think so. Yes. Is that harmful for him?" _

"_Any medication for sleep could be considered dangerous if taken in large quantities, though there are some that are more potent than others, especially depending on the amount per dosage within each tablet." _

"_Oh." _

"_We've already pumped his stomach and stabilized his condition, so all we can really do is continue to wait for him to awaken. Luckily, you brought him in just in time, Yagami-san." _

_Everything became silent within the room once again as the sound of footsteps echoed against the sterile hospital floor, along with a door opening only to then close shut. _

_Raito heard a rustling of clothing as the woman beside him shifted within her seat. Gentle hands softly rearranged the blankets covering Raito's body as the warmth of his mother's hands caressed his arms and chest. A couple of moments of pure silence was all the warning Raito received before his mother's voice once again filled the cold hospital room._

"_I know you're awake, Raito."_

_The 16-year-old winced in discomfort, knowing that when his mother spoke in __**that**__ tone of voice, it was bad. _

_Really, really, bad._

"_What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" A sense of guilt permeated through Raito's body as the sharp of edge of hysteria hung off his only stable connection's voice. "Do you honestly think that Teru would have wanted that for you?! Raito, open your eyes and __**look at me**__." _

_At the sound of the command, but more so, at the sound of his former lover's (former, former, former, as in __**not here, not anymore**__) name coming off the only person's lips (other than his sister's, but she was young, and naïve, and still had so much to __**learn**__) who had ever come to accept their relationship (which was now __**gone**__, because his father had wanted it to be __**erased**__) made him simply want to keep his eyes closed and never open them again. _

_Everything he had ever held true was crumbling within his very own hands, and he had no way to stop it. _

"_Raito, please…" _

_The strain within his mother's tone, echoing the tears which were now most probably clinging to her eyes, made the boy want to break his own resolve and just open his impure gaze. (Impure because what he had held most precious for the one he loved most had been __**stolen away from him**__, because he never got a chance to give his lover that __**gift**__, because he was dirty, and tattered, and it was __**all his father's fault**__) _

_Yet, the images he wished to keep at bay kept haunting him, taunting him, refusing to break their hold (Sometimes, Raito wished he could just __**shut the voices up**__ within his head and fall asleep and never wake up, because all they did was __**amplify**__ the pictures he already saw) over his psyche, and Raito didn't understand how his life had become such a masquerade. _

"_Raito…" _

_The sobs then audibly heard, Raito finally broke and slowly (ever so slowly, because if not, he would break and shatter, and never be able to be __**fixed**__), readying himself for the onslaught of light that would attack his innocent irises. Tears blurred his own vision as the burning light froze his body, making Raito feel even more of a shell than he already did. _

"_Raito, I don't know what to do... please, just tell me what you need me to do…" _

_Turning his head to the side, Raito eyelids fluttered as he attempted to focus in on the woman leaning over his bed, crying on top of his sheets. A blur of black and green overcame his sight as Raito carefully lifted his hand from the sheets (he really shouldn't have, because he was __**filthy**__, and his mother didn't deserved to be touched by such __**filth**__) and softly (barely, because she deserved so much __**better**__ from her son; a son who was __**better **__than him and not such a __**disgrace**__) placed his hand over her own peeking out from beneath her folded arms. _

_Sobs began to ebb as the woman slowly looked up from her crouched position against the boy's bed and gazed at her son through red-rimmed eyes. Tears continued to roll down the distraught mother's cheeks as her face crumpled once more at the heartbroken visage her oldest child held on his face, wanting to do nothing than fix everything (but she couldn't make everything better, not __**anymore,**__ and that's what would kill them both as time would pass) but breaking down even further at the knowledge that she couldn't undo the damage her husband had unknowingly caused. _

_There were so many things that needed to be said that wouldn't. So many embraces that would be turned away instead of cherished. So many nights that would be spent rolling underneath cold blankets wondering just __**why**__ he had to be the one to survive all this; just why he was the one to have to __**carry**__ this __**burden**__ (yet, even though he hated every minute of living, he couldn't bring himself to __**really **__die, because __**he**__ wouldn't want that, he __**wouldn't**__, and that's what Raito would continue to tell himself, even during the times he just wants to do nothing more than lie down and never wake up ever again)._

"_Isn't there… anything I can do?" _

_The question came out hesitantly, as if it was not meant to be spoken out loud at all. Raito wanted to leap from the bed and grab his mother and just beg her to turn back time and make him whole again (because Raito was __**broken**__, and he doubted he could ever be put back together, not without his __**light**__, not without his __**hope**__), to bring back that part of him that had crumbled along with Teru as he had laid bleeding on the ground, eyes empty of life. The part of him that had been stomped and spat upon when those people had __**grabbed**__ him and-_

"_No…" Raito whispered as his mother slowly got up from the bed and cradled her son within her arms, the last actual embrace he would ever come to accept without somehow shirking away in fear or disgust. "There isn't."_

_Both mother and son then said nothing more as they both retreated into the sanctity of their own thoughts, to wallow in the misery that seemed inescapable…_

_Even in their dreams._

* * *

L carefully sifted through the many documents on the table, wondering just what it was that was itching in the back of his mind.

After having Raito finally recount his own traumas, L had realized that he himself had had too much to think about. Now that he knew that Raito had been… that his past lover had… L now had a whole new range to work from.

Though every time he glanced at the boy's door, all he wanted to do was throw the documents away and rush to the room and _apologize_ of all things, for a past that was not even his own fault. Yet with every moment that passed, L felt all the more guilty, all the more troubled. The boy was in there licking his own still very fresh wounds, and all L was doing was picking at them even further.

Picking up one of the analysis from one of the earlier murders, the detective attempted to place his concentration back to the subject at hand; his case. Raito would have to wait, as more people were becoming targets, and all for something L **knew** he should have been able to piece together by now. This murderer was specifically taunting him, and L could just picture the faceless man behind all this smirking in morbid delight at all the pain he was causing both the victims and Raito himself.

'Why is this so difficult! What am I missing?!' It was most likely so obvious, that L was just delving to deep to face the facts. Slamming his hands against the small table, L finally gave into the frustration eating away at his mind and shoved all the papers off of the smooth surface.

'So this is what it's like to actually _feel_…' A small voice, sounding suspiciously like Raito's own vibrant tenor, whispered within the back of his mind.

Coming out of his usually crouched position, L held his head within his hands as he slumped forward. He needed to solve this case…

For both his _and_ Raito's peace of mind.

* * *

_Raito glanced around his empty apartment, keys jingling within his hand. This would be the last time…_

_The last time he would __**ever**__ set foot in this place. _

_Memories seemed to seep from every crevice of every room, from the living room all the way to the bedroom. Hell, even the bathroom had held special memories for the both of them. _

_Wanting to stay, yet aching to go, Raito gathered the last box of his possessions, wondering if the world was big enough to escape this never-ending torment settled over his chest. _

_As the lights flickered off, Raito left the last of his thoughts along with the bittersweet memories he hoped to never have to re-visit._

* * *

"_It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Yagami." The sharply dressed green-eyed man shook Raito's barely there hand as the brunette gazed at the American man with a vacant gaze. "My name is Bill Shiver. I'll be your new producer in the track room." _

_Raito simply nodded, not willing to look at the music executives behind him carefully eyeing the exchange with tentative gazes. _

"_From what I hear, it's going to be awesome working together." To his credit, Bill didn't sound as if he were trying to hard, or push some sort of authority over him. In fact, if not for Raito's current… situation (because that was what the __**label**__ had called it, cover up any association from it, even though his lover had been the best of the damndest __**best**__), Raito would have probably liked Bill a whole lot more than he did at that moment. _

_Yet, all he really saw was someone stepping into his lover's sacred spot by his side…_

_And Raito could not handle that._

_Not._

_One._

_Bit._

* * *

"_Are you ever going to speak with him?" His mother pleaded with him over the phone. "If not for him, at least for yourself, Raito. You need to get this __**thing **__off from your chest and finally live your life the way it was meant to be lived!" _

_The brunette felt the first question echo within his head, ignoring the rest of what his mother was saying as he did so._

_Raito figured the best way to answer her was the most direct way._

_He hung up the phone without so much as a goodbye. _

_Raito still loved his mother very, very much…_

_That didn't mean his father got the same privilege anymore. _

* * *

"_Happy birthday, Raito!" _

_Raito smiled silently as his mother and sister threw confetti all around the room, finally giving into temptation and throwing it at each other. Without realizing it, guffaws of laughter began to echo within the room, his own voice even managing to produce a few chuckles as Sachiko proceeded to dump a whole bag's worth of confetti over her daughter's head. _

"_Moooom!" _

_Sachiko only laughed all the more before turning to her son with an evil gleam in her eye, grabbing another bag of confetti as she did so. _

"_Mom…" Raito warned before getting up from his seat and backing away slowly. "Don't even think about-"_

"_Sayu, go for the gold!" _

_The now 17-year-old boy had little time to prepare before two rabid Yagami woman were at his tail, throwing bits and pieces of confetti at him. Out of breath from both running and laughing, Raito actually realized something in the back of his mind. _

'_I'm having fun…' _

_It wasn't fake. It wasn't a figment of his imagination. It wasn't something impure or diluted in its feeling. _

_As he continually ran from his sibling and parent, he gave his first real smile in over five months. _

'_Am I going to be ok, Teru?' _

_Raito squawked as Sayu finally forwent the confetti and grabbed a piece of cake. _

"_Don't you dare, Sayu!" _

'_Can I be myself again one day?' _

"_Mom…"_

'_Can I…'_

"_As long as you clean the mess afterwards…" _

'_Can I feel the same way for someone else one day, as I did for you?' _

"_BONZAI!"_

"_GAHHHHH! SUGARY FROSTED GOODNESS!"_

'_I think… maybe… just maybe…'_

"_Raito, you're going to get frosting all over the carpet if you keep running that way!"_

'_I might be able to.' _

"_Oh my God, get that stain out of my rug right this minute, Yagami Sayu!"_

"_Sorry, bro!"_

'_**If only someday**…'_

"_You will be if I have to get new carpeting done!"_

"_Kyaaa! So scary!" _

* * *

"_That's a rap, Raito." Bill sighed as he kneaded the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "I think we've got everything we need." _

_Raito said nothing as he threw down the headphones and walked out of the recording room, not caring to notice the somewhat pained look on his producer's face. _

"_Raito?" _

_The songwriter stalled in his footsteps, not even glancing back as Bill stood up, grabbing the paperwork waved off to the side. "Yes?" _

"_I just wanted you to know that despite the fact I know you don't agree with some of the song choices, you're doing a great job." Bill smiled at the boy's back, not realizing the strain he was putting on Raito's face as he grimaced at the so-called compliment. "Not many people have your kind of talent." _

'_Great…' The brunette reminisced on the older man's words as he left the room without a word of dismissal, feeling whatever was left of his soul slowly disintegrate in misery. 'I could have been __**more**__ than great.' _

_Teru had always told him that as long as he fought for what he believed in…_

_With a small scoff, Raito continued his way out of the recording studio in a dazed huff. _

_His ideals had gotten him nowhere in the beginning. _

_What made him think the end was going to be any different?_

* * *

L sighed as he felt his world spin out of control.

All of the emotions he had been trying to reign in for years were now flying off the charts, creating new found chaos within his already hectic mind, and all because of a 17-year-old singer who loved to scowl and sarcastically one-up him whenever possible.

All of the papers lay scattered on the floor, a collage of words and pictures L no longer had the will to understand. There was just one last piece missing from the puzzle, but the exhausted detective just couldn't figure out what…

Feeling the migraine he had developed over an hour before pound painfully against his temples, L carefully lifted himself up from the slumped hunch that had hurt even his back. Feeling the rush of blood assuage his head, the 25-year-old detective quietly padded over to the still closed door.

Thinking of the pretty brunette no doubt brooding within the spacious bedroom, L wondered just what this would mean for their 'relationship,' now that the detective knew just what was hidden behind that stony frown and melancholy eyes.

Did this mean things had to be different between the both of them now?

L bit his thumb as he stared at the panel of wood, a slight feeling of loss overcoming the slim insomniac wanting nothing more than to… to… _comfort_ this one person who seemed to be entwined with both beauty and tragedy.

Because really, in all of his tragic misgivings, Raito was still _beautiful_, and now that L knew just what it was that the pop star was carrying on his shoulders, it only seemed to make him glow all the more.

L could deny it all he wanted, but after a week and a half of knowing the boy, the passing infatuation with his music had transformed into something different altogether. There was something that pulled him towards the boy that had nothing to do with his music; at least, not anymore.

A pale hand went to grasp the handle on the door, breath held in a sign of anticipation when-

"L!"

The detective internally sighed as Watari quickly entered the room, looking quite panicked in all of his usual passiveness. Shoving his hand into his pocket and turning around, L shoved all the emotional baggage he seemed to love to carry in the back of his mind and once again filled in his role as the apathetic investigator he usually portrayed. "Yes, Watari? Is something the matter?"

"A box… at the front door…" The worried expression on Watari's face intensified as L shifted rather uneasily, still not looking over at the man who had practically raised him.

"Bomb?"

"I do not believe so," Watari admitted, his gut feeling still burning with something akin to nervousness. "But there is not mailing address."

"Have you moved it?"

"No, L."

The slim insomniac bristled as he walked away from the younger man's door and bypassed the older man.

"Then we shall have to take a chance, now won't we?" L murmured as he slouched towards the apartment's entrance and ignored the startled look on Watari's face.

"Are you positive that is wise, L?"

The 25-year old detective simply shrugged, both physically and emotionally exhausted. "If it does not have a mailing address and this murderer not only knows who I am, but knows that I am staying with Raito-kun, than there is no real threat to be had within the box. To whoever this is, this is all a game, and each piece of evidence is just another piece of the much grander puzzle he has set in place. I doubt anything that may come to harm any of us lies within that box."

'At least, not physically.' L added within his mind, the headache slowly evolving into a migraine. With slow, calculative steps, L finally made it to the door and carefully heaved it open. Peeping out with one shadowed eye, a medium sized cardboard box small enough to be carried within his arms lay in front of the stylish door mat.

Fully opening the door, L brought his right thumb up to his mouth and began to nibble on the nail, curiosity overriding his sense of self-preservation. Though he _thought_ the killer wouldn't send him a bomb, that didn't mean the possibility wasn't there. L knew he was being downright stupid, but as he didn't hear any audible ticking (as if that counted for anything), L figured he was most likely in the clear.

"Watari-"

Without having to say another word, a box of plastic gloves were shoved in front of his nose for use.

L blinked, not even shocked at his companion's speediness at this point.

"Thank you."

Plucking two gloves out of the small box and carefully snapping them on, L crouched down in front of the package and simply eyed it for a moment. What he was doing was dangerous and most likely endangering everyone within the apartment's life, but for once, L could not find the will to care. He was desperate at this point, and it seemed whoever was behind all of this was finally reaching their own breaking point if they were making almost complete direct contact.

"Were you able to catch who left the package here on the video feed?" L muttered, fingers twitching against his chin as he motioned his head towards the small hidden camera set up against the doorframe above the entrance.

"Just a regular delivery man." Watari's brow furrowed as he stood behind L, crossing his arm against his chest in absolute fear for his ward's safety. "His hat covered up the majority of his face, however, and all I could really make out was his hair coloring peeking out from underneath the cap."

'Interesting…' L thought to himself before hesitantly reaching out a finger and poking the box. 'Very interesting indeed.'

"Well…" L finally picked himself up, carefully picking up the package as he did so. "I suppose there is only one way to figure out what is inside."

Watari silently sighed as L slouched past him, looking like the child the older man secretly believed he was. The panda-like detective said nothing more as he reached the table and set the package down, looking over at Watari once more.

Watari sighed once more, wondering if he was going to come to regret these next couple of footsteps as he silently made his way to the kitchen. Taking out one of Raito's kitchen knives, Watari gave L one last questioning glance.

"Bring it here, Watari." L held out his hand, waiting for the feel of metal against his fingers. Once the knife was within his tight grasp, the pale man positioned it on the cardboard and tentatively cut through the tape, hand barely twitching as he did so.

Breath held in, L carefully pried open the box and peered inside-

Only to feel his heartbeat stall within his chest.

"L…?"

All the pieces seemed to connect together then, as those white pristine flowers glistened up at the dark-eyed man, taunting him in all their beauty. The crown was neatly made, not a leaf or stem broken as the petals became all the more vibrant within the dull brown cardboard surrounding it.

L wanted nothing more than to shove the box away from his person, poisoned by the possibility of things to come.

"L?"

But all he could think about was Raito, and all he had suffered-

"L?!"

And all he would continue to suffer, if this last crown of flowers were any indication.

Obsidian eyes closed as L pushed Watari's voice into the back of his mind, along with the banging now resonating from the door.

With this one item within his hands, L now realized that things had been destined to be chaotic from the start.

* * *

Disclaimer: Once again, all lyrics are mine, so there's nothing to really disclaim except for the actual series which goes without saying.

Ah, we're coming down to the wire. So, in all, things are connecting together rather beautifully. I may have to extend the story a chapter or two, but I think 16 chapters will actually be enough to fortify everything. Many thanks to my wonderful beta, Kitsune55, who is the epitome of awesomeness, and many thanks to you guys for reading! You know I totally love you guys! Lol!


	13. Hold Me 'Til Tomorrow

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Thirteen: _Hold Me 'Til Tomorrow _

* * *

"L? Are you alright?" Watari carefully asked, body poised towards the door. The knocking reverberated throughout the mostly silent apartment in sharp bursts, the pauses in between did little to smooth the sound over.

The emaciated investigator's eyes lost the wide-eyed shock that had enveloped within them as what little color was left on the insomniac's face faded away, leaving only an even more ghostly visage decorated by the slightly deadened eyes glazed over from lack of awareness. The huddled young man seemed to be mentally far off from Watari's presence and the on-goings just outside the barrier of the apartment, to which the sharp sounds of fist-on-wood contact echoed within the small space.

The only thing L could truly concentrate on were the milky white bunches of flowers still lying delicately within his hands.

"L?" The gentleman who had practically raised the stoic detective from a child until now could only gaze at the 25-year-old in question as he blinked, dark glassy eyes vacantly turning their shallow stare towards Watari in a mechanical gesture of obedience. "Are you…?"

"Please get the door, Watari." L put the crown of flowers back into the box they originated from and shuffled towards Raito's room as Watari nodded hesitantly. Placing the medium-sized box behind one of Raito's more expensive vases, the spindly detective turned towards his assistant once more. "If it is the officers sent by the NYPD, then you may begin in packing up what little necessities we will be requiring for the continuance of this investigation and commence preparing for our leave. I fear this location is no longer safe."

"Of course." The elderly assistant simply nodded before leaving L on his way, peeking into the peep hole to see if their scheduled contacts had arrived.

At the sight of two familiar pairs of eyes and worn faces, Watari sighed in exhaustion, opening the door without any hesitation. Whatever was happening, L was intensely aware of it, and if he said the area wasn't safe…

Then so be it.

* * *

L quietly closed the door behind him as his eyes involuntarily rolled over to the man sprawled out against the bed, brow furrowed despite the relaxed stated the rest of his body seemed to take.

Large shadowy eyes traced the angelic-like face as Raito burrowed himself deeper against the pillow, unaware of his fair-skinned admirer slowly making his way towards his resting place. L kneeled before the side of the mattress Raito was closest to and let his right hand, which had remained firmly at his side after putting down the crown of flowers it had held just moments before, wander over the younger man's deeply troubled features.

Fingertips barely grazed the silky skin of the pop star's face as the furrowed wrinkles around Raito's brow and nose began to smooth out at the tentative touch. Small puffs of breath tickled the underside of L's palm as his hand hovered over the pale pink lips that the detective himself had been so close to kissing not so long ago.

"_We have only known each other for such a short time…" L laid his head down at the crook of the teen's neck, ignoring the way the body beneath his own jumped at the sudden contact. "Yet I feel so close to Raito-kun…"_

"_I…" Raito felt himself hesitate, not quite knowing what to say. As much as he wished to rebuke the sudden claim-_

"_I feel the same way."_

Was there really any difference to how L felt then compared to how he felt now?

L let his hand slowly fall away from the younger man's face as he sat down on the bed as quietly as possible. The now serene features of the singer's face consoled him, even if barely. A part of the investigator, which had spawned after spending so much time with this one man so beautiful and still so scarred, was giving up on the hope it had held to be _more_ to this one person that L held in the highest of regards.

Obviously nothing had changed about how much the pale insomniac wanted the sensual performer, even now, knowing he was a both a victim and a survivor.

Or as Raito simply thought of himself… damaged.

But in essence, it didn't matter if what L felt was any different or not.

Raito was unreachable to him in all of his tragic glory; a man who could not see past both his own ideas and his own experience. The brunette's strengths were in essence his greatest weaknesses, and Raito knew this as well as L did. Raito had warned him that what he had saw had not been the real Raito… that it had been a façade covering the mess that lay underneath.

But did L care?

No… all he wanted was to know more about the slim teen peacefully slumbering within his bed, faraway from the traumas he faced now.

Was he dreaming good dreams? Were the memories simply replaying within his mind, driving the singer farther into the brink of insanity than Raito himself already thought he was?

L felt his hand clench against his leg as he unfurled his legs away from his chest and lay beside his object of affection. Intertwining his arms around Raito's waist, L wasted no time in curling his body around the sleeping beauty, burrowing his head within the crook of the 17-year-old musician's neck.

Who knew what the next hours would bring…

But L would take what he could get from this now, while he was still able to enjoy just what could have been.

* * *

"I see you gentlemen are well." Watari commented as both Clemens and Lacy entered the apartment, both looking quite winded as they didn't even pause in their rapid strides. "Where are the police officers that the NYPD were going to send in? They never arrived for the questioning…"

"… … They're dead." Lacy answered after a moment of silence, raking a hand through his thinning dull brown locks. "Shot themselves in the head after leaving the front door of the station."

"What?" Watari had to do a double take as both FBI agents sat down, Clemens eyes shaded by his long bangs as Lacy continued to speak.

"We don't get it either, obviously." The older officer spoke hollowly, slowly enunciating the words as if he had never spoken them before in his life. "In front of civilians, no less…"

"It's almost as if they didn't even have any _control_ over themselves." Clemens softly added in as brushed his hair out of his face with a wave of his hand. "From what the eye-witnesses saw, they simply took a couple steps out of the building, pulled out their Glocks and just… fired. It was… horrible having to watch those witnesses just sit in shock and not even sure how to explain visualizing something so horrific. Hell, I saw the footage from the security cameras and still don't believe it!"

"I see…" The elderly man grabbed two small cups as he began to pour out tea for the both of them. "I suppose you'll be transferring us elsewhere then?"

"Eh?" Clemens blinked, forest green eyes clouded in confusion. "What do you mean 'transfer'?"

"… L no longer deems this location safe. We shall begin allocating to the nearest hotel and regroup there, as L has sought fit." The mustached man slowly straightened his back and tilted his head to the side. "Is there a problem with that, officers?"

"I suppose that seems to be the safest option for all parties." Lacy once again took control of the conversation once Clemens leaned back against the couch, cinnamon eyes dimly clouded with uncertainty. "Whatever- or whoever is doing this, obviously knows what he's doing. Hopefully, this will at least give us a slight edge…"

"Where's L, anyways?" Clemens suddenly asked, jade green eyes narrowing as he tuned back into the discussion.

Watari smiled sadly as he handed them their tea.

"I suppose you can say he is readying himself for the times to come."

* * *

Chestnut bangs shifted against Raito's forehead as he sighed, mocha-brown eyes opening in mere slits as waves of black obscured his vision.

Small bits of what looked to be tufts of hair tickled his face as the confused singer blinked distortedly, kicking his feet out slightly as it bumped against another, what seemed to be, person's ligament. Firm arms and hands kept him in place as the person holding onto him crept closer to his body, pulling a leg over his own.

Instead of the burning suffocation and urge to move away Raito usually felt when approached by another like this, the brunette pop star instead felt his fingers twitch against the person's chest as the cotton fabric tickled the pads of his digits. Pushing his hands up, Raito hesitantly wrapped his arms around the slightly slimmer man's neck as a nose brushed alongside Raito's jugular.

A pair of murky obsidian eyes barely flinched at the now fully-open cinnamon gaze staring down at the man encumbering his form. Once again, Raito's fingers twitched as they were then met with the soft skin of L's neck and the brushing of the neckline of the dulled white tee-shirt the older man wore.

"You're holding me." Raito whispered in awe, eyes melting into a rusty mahogany brown as the dimming light of the setting sun radiated from the window across from them.

"Yes, I am." L answered, tightening his hold around the boy's slim waist as he did so. L's nose softly brushed the 17-year-old's flushing cheek as the older of the two arched his back, the noticeable slump gone from his usually hunched form.

"I…" The flushed pink around Raito's cheeks burst as they turned a full magenta, heat enveloping his face's every pore. "I don't feel…"

"Raito-kun?"

"I don't feel trapped." Raito hesitantly whispered. "With you, I mean. Those feelings of the past are… what I mean is, they're always going to be there in the back of my mind, but with you…"

A hand slowly pulled back from behind L's neck as Raito cupped the older man's cheek, a shaky smile enveloping his face. L didn't know whether he was dreaming or not, but if he was, he wouldn't mind living this fantasy out until the end.

"I don't feel it as much when I'm with you. I'm not saying it all disappears, but, I feel like there's a chance that I could be… free when I'm by your side." Raito tilted his head down as the abnormally shy look on his face made him all the more embarrassed. "I'm saying this all wrong, aren't I? I just… I just don't know how to explain this to you without sounding like a complete idiot. And I don't want to sound like a complete sap, but you just… and I… God…"

L's normally blank face crumbled as a small twitch of his lips and narrowing of the eyes morphed his bland visage into one that could have been described as contentment.

"Are you laughing at me, L?" Raito questioned, the adorable flush still decorating his face as he did so.

"Of course not, Raito-kun." L detangled his arms from the younger man's waist just as someone knocked on Raito's bedroom door. "In fact, I doubt that could be farther from the truth."

Raito sat up as L did, staring at the older man with a foreign emotion L could not put a name to, but one Raito himself knew all too well.

But what was both the most frightening and exhilarating all at once, was that he could see the same emotion pouring from L's usually impassive gaze.

The bright-eyed singer would never forget that one moment once their eyes locked simultaneously and an understanding was reached between them in concerns to what exactly it was that drew each man to the other.

"L? Mr. Yagami?" A smooth bass echoed from behind the door as Raito felt his ears twitch in irritation. "Are you two ready to go yet?"

"Ready?" Raito repeated, brought out of the trance that both he and L had involuntarily slipped into as he blinked at the unfamiliar voice calling out through his door. "Who was… What is going on, L?"

"We shall be out in one moment, please." L turned back to the panicking singer and grabbed his hand, feeling slightly out of place as he did so. Though Raito did calm down a fraction as he did so, making L feel placated in the motion. "I suppose the other officers scheduled to meet us were not able to make it here, though it makes no difference otherwise. That, Raito-kun, is an officer working with the FBI. He and his partner are going to transport the both of us out of this building and to an undisclosed location I deem safer for the both of us."

"Why?" Usually L loved to watch Raito take apart a mystery within his mind; the constant questioning and piecing together of the puzzle lovely to watch unfold over his animate facial features. Now, it was just hindrance to had to be done and over with. "We've been here the whole time, and we both know the killer _knows_ we're here. Why are we moving now, when we're so close! Unless… unless you're holding things away from me!"

Raito narrowed his eyes as L barely flinched under the intense gaze. "L, you're not telling me all the facts, and if I'm going to be helping you with this case-"

"Raito-kun, there is no longer any more need for your help." L dictated as he drudged himself up from the bed, a shadowed look overcoming his gaunt features as he turned away from his shocked companion. "I already have all that I need to solve this case."

Raito watched as L silently walked out of the room, not even brushing the wrinkles off of his clothes as he did so. The blank expression on his friend's face was implanted back into place as L grabbed the box that was lying slightly hidden from the other's view and threw it into the nearest garbage when the other's within the room weren't looking.

What L hadn't counted on was Raito peeking in through the door, catching the sight of crushed white petals and dirty cardboard being thrown away as his own eyes widened once more in alarm.

In spite of the musician's sincere belief within the detective whom Raito had come to admire, the torn singer had to wonder if his trust was placed in the right person once more.

* * *

"_So what's the plan, what's the plan, what's the plan, what's the plan?!" _Ryuuk couldn't contain his excitement any further as the dark-haired stranger made his way through the crowd, absently smiling to himself in mild amusement.

"_Oh, I get it… __**now**__ you don't want to sound like a raving lunatic." _The Shinigami chuckled as his companion simply continued slumping forward through the crowd of people, looking as if he hadn't a worry in the world. _"A bit too late for that, don't you think?" _

The man continued to smile as Ryuuk guffawed in the background, waiting for the next step in his scheme to begin.

It wouldn't be too long now…

Looking down at the watch now decorating his pale wrist, a small smirk enveloped the man's lips as the urge to laugh increased ten-fold.

'Not long at all…'

* * *

"Alright, we're moving out." Lacy commented as Watari shouldered a bag and picked up three more slightly larger ones. L and Raito were free of any materials whatsoever along with Lacy and Clemens. "Anything else before you leave?"

Raito hummed for a moment before nodding, turning back and running into his room. Looking over besides his bed, Raito glances at the small notebook and pen lying on the nightstand.

Pocketing both within his cargo pants, the auburn-haired singer hurried out of his abode, wondering just when the next time it would be when he would be able to see his Manhattan apartment without having to rush off to catch some psychotic mass-murderer.

"Raito-kun?"

The 17-year-old teen glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to see L hanging by the doorway staring at him. Slowly the vacant gaze slipped from Raito's face to Raito's bed, lingering for a moment before turning away altogether.

"It is time to leave, Raito-kun."

A feeling akin to dread crawled within Raito's stomach as he made his march towards the door, feeling more anxious than usual. Everything was building up within the brunette musician, running away from his grasp as he tried to stabilize his erratic emotions.

"Ok…" The cinnamon-eyed singer whispered before closing the door to his bedroom. "I'll be right there."

The absent feel of warm pseudo-arms still hung across his waist as Raito caught up with the other men, pushing all doubts to the back of his mind and, whether for better or for worse, following his heart once more.

* * *

The comforting weight of the tiny journal against his thigh was the only thing that kept Raito's leg from bouncing up and down in overdrive as the paranoid singer pulled the cap he was wearing down over his eyes, not wishing to meet anyone's gaze as he stared at the car in front of him.

L felt his fingers twitch as he stood next to the boy, barely reigning in the insane impulse to grab his hand.

"Aren't you two going to get inside?" Clemens gave a small smile as he patted both men on the back simultaneously, feeling the chemistry bubbling over between the detective and musician. "We've got a lot of road to cover before reaching our new site."

Raito nodded fervently as he grabbed L's hand, pulling him inside the vehicle without the slightest bit of hesitation.

The 25-year-old sugar-addict felt his cheeks rise in temperature as an almost imperceptible blush flourished over his naturally pale skin. Both men settled themselves in the back seat as Raito sat himself closest to the door, still not letting go of L's hand as he adjusted himself.

L pretended not to notice.

"Ryuuga…" Watari whispered as he stared at both L and Raito, bags still in hand. "I shall meet you at the regulated destination once I have the rest of the electrical circuits cut within the apartment and the cameras are completely disconnected. For now, please make due with these two gentlemen."

"Of course, Watari." L easily answered as Lacy sighed irritably in the driver's seat. "Shall I have someone pick you up once you are finished?"

Watari shook his head as he smiled.

"That won't be necessary, sir."

Clemens gave Watari a thumb's up before shutting the door, talking inaudibly to the older man as Lacy tinkered with the radio in frustration.

"L…" Raito whispered as he tightened his grip against the hand still within his grasp. "I have to ask you something."

"As we are getting to our destination, it is imperative that Raito-kun refers to me by my alias, as eyes and ears are everywhere." L moved a tad bit closer to the teen than what was necessary as Raito pulled the hand onto his lap, lightly playing with the connected fingers with his other hand. "But enough of that. What is it that Raito-kun wishes to ask me?"

"At the apartment," Raito slowly brought his gaze up from his lap as he stared L right in the eyes. "What was it that you threw away?"

For a moment, L felt himself freeze in shock as he blinked in astonishment.

Raito continued to hold onto his hand, even whilst L read the distrust within his eyes.

"Raito-kun, it is not what you think…"

"You know who's doing this, don't you?" Raito muttered as Clemens finally waved Watari off, making his way into the car. "You said you had everything you need to solve the case; we both know what that really means. And then I watched you throw away that box with the flowers in them. It wasn't there earlier today, so it must have came in while I was still sleeping, which explains why all of sudden we're moving onto another location altogether. Tell me, L. Who's doing this to me? Who's at fault?!"

The dark-haired investigator felt his pulse quicken as Raito continued to stare at him in plea. Glancing down at the hand intertwined against his own, L barely felt the car vibrate as Lacy turned on the ignition and started the car.

"Fault?" L whispered as he stared over at his friend in regret. "I believe that if this is anyone's fault… it would be my own, Raito-kun."

"What…?" Raito felt the car move forward as he tilted his head closer towards the detective's gaunt face as his lips trembled in anticipation. "What do you mean, _Ryuuga_?"

"Raito-kun, I-"

"Getting kind of chummy back there, aren't ya?" Clemens joked as both men barely glanced in his direction. "I've got to say, never thought you had it in you to actually be close to somebody, Ryuuga."

"I believe that what we do is our own business, Clemens." L frowned as he practically threw himself onto Raito's lap, shifting his legs so that they lay straight out instead of pulled to his chest like he usually sat.

"Ain't that the truth…" Lacy muttered as he continued to drive, trying to ignore both his irritating partner and his irritating pseudo-boss.

"Don't be so cold, Lacy!" Clemens practically gushed as he smirked at the two through the reflection of the rearview mirror. "We mustn't judge young love, now…"

Raito blushed as he glared at the younger of the two agents, hand trembling within L's as he did so.

"Clemens, be quiet. Lacy, drive." L commanded before easing the singer's hand with a small squeeze. Clemens pouted as he stared out the window, knowing Lacy was smirking at him as he spoke. "Raito-kun…"

"Yes?" The boy asked quietly, sick of the reckless emotions, the ongoing set of non-answers and the road seemingly leading down to both nowhere and everywhere. Raito was exhausted of having to keep thinking about the past and yet worry so much about both his own and L's future; even his present wasn't safe anymore!

It was a wonder Raito still had it in him to continue on…

"I wish for Raito-kun to stay by my side, no matter what happens." L spoke slowly, as if he himself were afraid of what he was saying. "Please promise me that will be the case?"

Raito stared at the moment for a moment, wondering if this was _the _pivotal moment for the both of them. They were both two men who naturally distrusted everyone around them; Raito, out of experience, and L, out of necessity. Yet gazing into those twin pools of dark emotion, Raito realized that what L was asking was more than just a simple promise of physically staying by his side.

"Of course." Raito answered effortlessly as he gave a crooked grin, feeling the strain of the past couple of weeks finally catch up to him before slipping away just as easily. "You're the only one I can rely on, L."

Instead of reprimanding Raito on the use of his 'name', L simply leaned forward, mere millimeters away from the other's lips. Neither paid attention to the two officers in the front seats, the bumps of the car ride, or even the scenery passing by in a blur by their windows.

But they should have been.

"HOLY SHIT!"

L glanced up at the two officers, eye twitching as everything felt as if it were going in slow motion. Clemens was turning in horror to his left side as Lacy attempted to maneuver the car to the right. In a sudden fit of understanding, L turned his eyes over towards the window-

Only to be faced with a pair of headlights and the oncoming front of another car.

It felt like a millennia passed as really split-seconds counted down the speed of impact. L could merely think of one person as his eyes met Raito's, which were as blank as ever.

'Raito…'

Raito felt his eyes widen in response as he whipped his head to the side and turned away from the car speeding towards them.

'L…'

Until all he could see was white.

* * *

"_Wow…" _Ryuuk whistled as the man next to him stared at the crash. _"That looks like it's got to hurt. Didn't think you'd risk killing either of them, though." _

"It's fine." Crimson red eyes lit up in glee underneath the dark specs the man wore as bunches of people scrambled all over the place, panic arising in seconds. "They're both too stubborn to die, anyways."

"_So…?" _The Shinigami blinked as the strange man slouched towards the wreckage, barely batting an eye in anyone else's direction as the fiery remains of the other car smashed against a building wall boiled over. _"What now?" _

"Now?" A chuckle resonated from the man's lips as he caught the mangled bodies of familiar men lying far from the wreckage in pools of each other's blood. "Now… I finally retrieve what belongs to me."

Ryuuk felt his lips twitch more than usual as a sudden burst of laughter escaped his throat, amused more than anything at the man he continually watched over.

"_You certainly are an interesting one… B." _

* * *

Ok... I know plenty of you 'knew' who the murderer was, or at least suspected (other than Mikami, but... yeah.) that it was Beyond Birthday. But, if you haven't read "Another Note", don't fret. It won't affect your reading experience that much. Remember, this is an A/U, y'all. Lol! Still a lot of unanswered questions, along with a lot of potentially crazy shizzle hanging over the horizon. All of I've got to say is strap on your seat belts you guys, it's only going to get crazier from here on out! Woot!

Many thanks to Kitsune55 for beta-ing! If there was a gold medal for best beta, I'd give it to you! Alas, there is not, so I can only give you a fake plastic medal with glitter glued over it. Lol! Sparkly!

Thanks for reading you guys!


	14. Living Within the Void

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Fourteen: _Living Within the Void_

* * *

Blurred images met L's eyes as he attempted to open them, only to close them once more as intense rays of light burned his corneas. Pain infiltrated every part of his body as the slim detective attempted to move his arms.

Something heavy hung by the 25-year-old's waist as his hand itched downwards, stifling the gasps of pain as smooth skin ridged with what seemed to be pieces of glass and sudden uneven creases soaked in some sort of cooling liquid met his touch.

Attempting to open his eyes a bit more slowly than before, L squinted as he took a look to his right, hand still positioned over what now seemed to be an arm.

_It felt like a millennia passed as really split-seconds counted down the speed of impact. L could merely think of one person as his eyes met Raito's, blank as ever. _

A blood-encrusted face still so beautiful even whilst covered completely in cuts and bruises met L's sight as he gasped, fingers twitching in horror.

'_Raito…'_

L groaned as he carefully unfurled his leg from the awkward position it had settled itself under the younger of the two geniuses, the feel of gravel and glass behind the back of his head digging deeper within his entangled tresses. A deep ache reverberated throughout his body as his head pounded from both the impact and the attempt to retrieve the memory of the crash within the vestiges of his mind.

_Raito felt his eyes widen in response as he whipped his head to the side and turned away from the car speeding towards them._

'_L…' _

_Before L could react, Raito threw him over on the other side of the car and huddled over him in an attempt to smother every part of the insomniac's body with his own. Without thinking, L pulled the door open at the same time as Clemens, before the other car collided against their own, grabbing Raito's hand as he jumped out of the vehicle. _

'Raito…'

Another stifled breath made it's way out of L's mouth as he shifted a bit closer towards the unconscious teen, eyes burning with what could have been tears of sorrow.

At this point, L just wasn't too sure anymore.

The sound of footsteps and crunching glass made the nearly comatose investigator perk up as he kept his sights on the boy next to him.

'Raito protected me…'

The way that the 17-year-old had completely submerged L's own being with his body, in what little protection he could offer, replayed through L's head as the tears finally fell from his eyes. He wondered if maybe this was Raito had felt like watching the lover he had never gotten the chance to fully commit himself to fall to the ground in a splatter of blood and brain matter. If it was even anything close to how L was feeling _now_…

_L barely heard the pained yell as Raito was almost propelled out of the car once impact was made, the force of them crashing onto the dirtily-paved road doubling in seconds. _

'_Raito… don't leave me behind…'_

_A sickening crack was all L heard before the world went completely black._

Then he could see just why the boy lived the way he lived, even if just a little.

"Somebody doesn't look so good, hm?"

L felt his body freeze as the familiar voice grounded him completely, only a slight whisper in the wind.

"I know you're awake, _L_…"

'I failed you didn't I, Raito?' L closed his eyes as he snuggled in as closely to the younger man as he could. 'All I wanted to do was protect you, yet now that I truly believe that I've actually destroyed you in the worst of ways. Please don't tell me this is the end…'

"But you won't be for too long."

'Please don't leave me behind Raito, even if for just a moment. You promised me…'

That was all the warning L received before a crushing pain burst against the back of his head, amplifying every little ache crawling up the 25-year-old's body until L felt it all explode all at once within his head, and he was enveloped into the darkness once more.

'You promised.'

* * *

An aging mustached man sighed as he grabbed his suitcase and walked out of the airport he had currently been residing within. Dark cinnamon-brown eyes carefully watched their surroundings as a hand carefully brushed aside graying locks away from his wrinkled brow.

Holding up a hand, thick spectacles obscured his vision as a glare of light bounced off the clear glass, the tension set on his face as clear as day.

"Where to, sir?" The cabbie asked as he absent-mindedly toyed with the meter, not even giving the older man a look back.

The middle-aged man took out a piece of paper and stared down at the address before finally speaking, a thick accented version of the English language barely taking the cabbie in front off guard.

"Do you… know where 5th Avenue is?"

The cabbie gave the man an annoyed glance as he turned on the ignition.

"Yeah," He muttered sarcastically. "Where off, exactly?"

"97th Street." The older man muttered before leaning back and bringing out the picture he held within his wallet. A slim auburn-haired teen met his eyes, a guitar slung over his shoulder as he smiled up at the camera.

'Raito…'

* * *

"_Mother, what are you doing?" _

_A small child with a mop of dark hair and skin as white as snow blinked as he pulled up his shirt sleeve, small hands enveloped by the overly large shirt that hung off his torso. Wide obsidian eyes stared up at the young woman in her early thirties sitting beside him on the grassy patch that surrounded them as she held a large bundle of flowers within her lap. _

"_Making a crown, sweetheart." A small smile decorated the quiet mother's face as she continued to twine together the stems, carefully bending them so that they would not break. "Haven't I ever showed you how to make one before?" _

"_No…" The boy shyly blushed as he slumped over her arm and laid his head against her stomach. "Can I see, then?" _

_The dark-haired woman smiled as she turned back to the pile on her lap and continued with her threading, not saying a word as the boy leaned forward once more. _

"_You see, it's quite simple once you manage to get the hang of it." The small smile bloomed into a grin as the boy's eyes stayed focused directly on the fingers working their way through the long stems and leaves. "And it's very pretty to wear, too!" _

"_I don't wanna wear flowers on my head!" The child panicked as the mother laughed outright. "I'm not some… some girl!" _

"_So? Who says you have to be a girl to appreciate beautiful things?" The long-haired woman smiled as she completed the last set of strands and held them between two gentle hands. "As a matter of fact, do you even know what these flowers are called, dear?" _

"_No…" The raven-haired boy pouted as he crossed his arms against his chest, looking up at his mother with wide mischievous eyes. "Well? What are they?" _

_The mother dissolved into another onslaught of giggles once more before calming herself down and gently placing the perfected crown of flowers on top of the little boy's mop of glossy emery-colored locks, the pristine white of the petals blending in nicely against the strands of ebony as the small bits of greens added a bit more color to the boy's ghostly pallor._

"_They're called Queen Anne's Lace." Gently poking one of the puffy like flowers that lay on his head, the boy blinked in bemusement. "Do you want to know why I picked this flower, darling?" _

"_I guess you're going to tell me either way, right?" The boy once again pouted as he gazed up at his mother with a deceptively cute gaze. _

"_Yes…" The young woman gave a saucy smile as dark obsidian orbs glistened as the sun hit her sight in just the right angle. "You're quite right, Mister Smarty-Pants."_

_The boy sighed playfully as he fixed the crown of flowers over his head and peaked up at his mother, a small smile enveloping his lips as he held onto the giggling woman staring down at him in pure glee. _

"_Well, a long time ago, when your father and I were still very young, he presented me with a bouquet of this same exact flower, with a small card that read 'Whether in the best or worst of times, you shall always be my greatest of sanctuaries.' Along with the card, a small diamond ring lay within the envelope, waiting to be discovered." _

"_The same one you're wearing now?!" _

"_Yes, son. Now where was I…?" The young mother nibbled on her thumb before an excited look overcame her face, dark eyes alighting with a spark that made her eyes seem even lighter than before. "Oh yes! You see, that was your father's way of saying he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. But you see, son, I had been quite confused. Why Queen Anne's lace? And why did he write 'sanctuary', instead of something like 'the one I love', or something to that effect? It was something that would niggle in the back of my mind from time to time, so about a year after we were married, I finally asked your father just why he chose that particular flower and expression." _

"… … _Well?" _

"_Quite impatient, aren't you?" _

"_You were telling a story, and then you just stopped! Why wouldn't I be?" _

"_I have to say, I should hope you don't get that little attitude and 'instant-gratification' complex from me, my dear." _

"… … _Do not have an attitude." _

"_Do you want to hear the rest, or not?" _

"_Yeah, yeah…" _

"_Now, I asked your father just why he chose what he chose and wrote what he did about a year after we had gotten married, since my curiosity had finally overridden my judgment and pushed me over the edge, and his first reaction before even saying anything at all, was to just smile at me." Long dark hair bordering on midnight black obscured the young woman's gaze as she placed her hand on the ground, smoothing over the fertile dirt beneath her fingers as she reminisced. "He grabbed my hand and sat me down, and asked why I had asked then after so much time. I was so flustered; I didn't want to tell him that I'd been too embarrassed to ask. I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of him after all. He just laughed it off as if he already knew the answer and acted as if I wasn't blushing like a schoolgirl in front of him with a glare on my own face." _

"_He said he chose Queen Anne's Lace because it symbolized a greater meaning to him than any red rose could. That he hadn't just been in love with me… but in love with what I could become, and what I offered him." Seeing the boy tilting over her lap, the young mother laughed once again as she pulled him up by his underarms and settled him over her thighs, winking down at his fake sullen expression. "Of course, I had to ask him what it was I offered him. His smile widened before hugging me and kissing my forehead, before whispering 'A home that only I can see' within my ear. I still didn't understand at first… until I looked up what Queen Anne's Lace was supposed to represent." _

"_And…?" _

"_And, what?" _

"_Now, Mommy's just being mean." _

"_Well, at least you know where you get it from now." _

_The boy pouted cutely before crossing his arms against his chest, the crown of flowers on top of his head throwing off his intimidating look completely. _

"_Oh, come now…" The young mother played with the child's wayward locks of hair as he leaned back against her lap. "You know I'm going to tell you, anyway." _

"_Well?" _

_The woman sighed as she fluffed up the boy's hair and gave the boy a small smile. "It meant 'sanctuary'." _

"… _So?" _

_The woman laughed once more as the boy's childishness once again tickled her fancy, the smile on her face growing into a wide grin as she almost stumbled back onto the grass at her son's fit of bluntness. _

"_Oh, Lawliet… what am I ever going to do with you?" _

"Ah…"

A barrage of sensations hit L all at once as he once again felt his consciousness hit him like a freight train. The pure darkness of the small room he now inhabited made him shiver as he cautiously opened his eyes, deep breaths shallowly echoing against the room's walls.

A burst of pain exploded within his chest, causing L to struggle against his seat, only for his fuzzy mind to notice his bound hands wrapped behind him with a thick cord, tight enough to almost feel as if the circulation of blood was being cut from his hands, yet still allow a minimal amount of movement. Once again, urge to struggle against the binds overtook the slim investigator once more before he took in the environment now encasing him, the darkness stifling in its oppressive atmosphere.

Taking in the contents of the room as best he could, L noticed the desk that sat in front of him, along with an outline of a massive television screen in front of him. A door stood right beside the desk, towering over the rest of the inanimate objects within the room.

The remainder of the room was almost completely devoid of any personal items whatsoever, except for a bureau that sat just slightly behind him propped up against the wall, and a frame of a twin bed with no mattress that lay on the other side of the tiny room, barely a half a foot away from the gasping detective.

L blinked as an itch just above his temple caught him off guard, before a pounding sensation began to throb right behind the same area as several parts of his arms began to pound with a lacerating pain. Drops of sweat began to fall in earnest as the dark-haired man attempted to calm himself down.

Mentally counting down from 25, the 24-year-old investigator concentrated only on taking in deep breaths, eyes closing as he envisioned a place, _any place_, other than here.

'Where am I...?' L asked himself as he felt his body's panic slowly evaporate, if not fully go away. 'Why am I here, wherever here is? Where is... where is Raito?!'

After a moment of trying to sort through the gaps within his memory, L felt the frays of terror once again claw at his heart as his aching limbs and pounding head made the detective wince in pain.

'Raito...'

The suffocating quiet of the room suddenly disintegrated as the door beside the desk squeaked open, the darkness from what L assumed was a hallway only amplifying the stagnant obscurity of the space enveloping him.

Without saying a word, L leaned back against the hardwood chair, the cool surface grounding the disoriented mess within his mind. Light footsteps reverberated throughout the room as the detective tried to suppress the shivers running up and down his spine, racking his brain for who could be here, who was doing this to him, and just _where_ was Raito?

'Raito, when was the last time I… saw…'

"_You're holding me." Raito whispered in awe, eyes melting into a rusty mahogany brown as the dimming light of the setting sun radiated from the window across from them._

"_Yes, I am." L answered, tightening his hold around the boy's slim waist as he did so. L's nose softly brushed the 17-year-old's flushing cheek as the older of the two arched his back, the noticeable slump gone from his usually hunched form._

"_I…" The flushed pink around Raito's cheeks burst as they turned a full magenta, heat enveloping his face's every pore. "I don't feel…"_

"_Raito-kun?"_

"_I don't feel trapped." Raito hesitantly whispered. "With you, I mean. Those feelings of the past are… what I mean is, they're always going to be there in the back of my mind, but with you…"_

'I held you… and then we left the apartment when both Clemens and Lacy appeared. But… but before that… I… threw something away… something _important_…'

"I see you're awake again, L."

The familiar voice rang within L's ears as he felt his heart stop within his chest.

"Have you missed me as much as I missed you?"

The darkness then didn't seem as suffocating as L closed his eyes and thought back to his earlier days in Whammy's… and gave a silent prayer.

'Please, don't hurt Raito… please, don't hurt Raito… please… don't hurt him…'

L heard a small click before a barrage of light invaded his senses, causing him to flinch in response. Pupils dilating in a moment of blurriness, the detective finally looked over at his captor, the clinical whiteness of the room's walls even more sickening than the previous darkness that had veiled him.

A man identical to him in almost every way stared back at him, as a pair of crimson red eyes glistened against the artificial light. Shirt stained entirely in the color red, a pale hand came up and scratched an arm through a dirtied sleeve as baggy jeans hung off the man's narrow hips. A pale gaunt face reminiscent of L's own smirked as eyes narrowed in vindictiveness, a threatening air lingering around the kidnapper's aura.

"And here I thought stooping to abduction would have been beneath you, B." L croaked as he coughed, specks of blood lingering within his mouth as his voice felt hoarse from lack of use. The man chuckled as he crept forward before kneeling before the bound detective, still reeling from the sudden burst of light to the retinas.

"Now, why would you ever think that?" A small smile on the imposter's face was anything but comforting as his cold calculating gaze was kept on L, trying to dissect him piece by piece. "I never said I was above anything back in those days. You were the one that always had a stick up their ass…"

"What… what do you want from me?" L whispered croakily, eyes losing whatever fight there was left within them. "Revenge? Acceptance? Fear? I have nothing left to give to you, B."

"Oh, poor, poor dear… Don't worry. I don't want anything from _you_, L." The glow within the psychotic murderer seemed to intensify as the words rang within L's ears, the feel of cold hands full of death and misery grasping at his wrists with a grip of steel. "Well, that's not entirely true."

Giggling maniacally, the dark-haired look-alike gently let go of the other's appendages and slowly got up, the smile darkening as he slowly walked back to the television. "I do want you to do one thing for me…"

L felt the chills rolling down his body rapidly increase beyond his control as the younger of the two flicked on the television, the sight before his eyes causing a strangled sob to escape his throat.

"I want you to watch." B turned back and whispered over his shoulder, sinister smile still falling over his pale lips as blood red eyes sharpened menacingly. "Can you do that for me, L? Can you watch, and watch, and watch…"

A broken tanned boy with russet hair and dirty clothes lay shackled against a bed, arms and legs set in peculiar angles as he breathed in what looked to be shallow, almost painful, breaths. Patches of what looked to be dried blood decorated the teenager's body as he groaned within unconsciousness, cuts and bruises running alongside the musician's body wherever the boy's skin was shown.

"Raito…" L whispered to himself, feeling his hands involuntarily shake against their confines as B slowly blinked, examining the man who then proceeded to ignore him in favor for the screen housing the young man they had both come to know under completely different circumstances.

"Do you care about this boy, L?" The blank expression covering B's own face rivaling L's own as the one tied down against the chair barely even blinked in acknowledgement, eyes still stuck to the image in front of him. "Does he encompass you every thought and enthrall your every need? Or is he nothing but another toy for you to own? I have to ask… Has the great L finally fallen off his pretty pedestal and joined the rest of us humans down here on Earth?"

With a pale hand, the dark-haired doppleganger gave the his 'other half' a small smirk as fingers traced over a familiar black journal that lay on top of the desk beside him. L felt his obsidian eyes widen in response before going back to his lackadaisical self, storing away the position of the small book for future reference.

"Nothing, L? Not even a peep for what's to come?"

L said nothing more as B gave him a small mocking salute and finally closed the door, leaving the detective alone with only his thoughts and the vision of his friend lying brokenly against a dirty mattress in front of him.

'What have you done, B…?'

* * *

Cinnamon brown eyes flinched as Raito stared off into the darkened abyss he was drenched within, body completely confined against the small prison forcing him to stay exactly where he was. The mattress beneath his aching body felt uncomfortable against his bruised limbs, quite sure he was still bleeding in some places as a cold sweat enveloped his shivering mass of appendages.

The taste of acidic blood lingered on his tongue as the 17-year-old cautiously moved his left arm, relieved to see that that much movement was possible. Lifting his head albeit wearily, Raito glanced around him, taking in the presumably plain room now surrounding him. Moving his aching legs without thinking about it, the cold feel of shackles jingled against his thin ankles, making him bite his lower lip in anxiousness.

'What is… going on…?'

"You must be wondering just what's going on, aren't you?"

Raito stilled as the voice reverberated throughout the room, the dim lights revealing a dark lump kneeling within the corner. The familiar white shirt and jeans took the boy off-guard as he slumped against the mattress, eyes blurring over with unshed tears as a head of dark hair shook slightly.

'Who…?'

"Yes…" Raito muttered, throat constricting in pain as the hoarse whisper filled the room. The familiar head of raven locks enthralled him, even whilst a feeling of dread grew near the center of his chest where his heart resided. Without thinking, the pop star called out to the man in the corner, hoping against hope that he wasn't who he believed.

'If that's him, then he's as helpless as I am…' The cinnamon-haired injured teen cried out in his thoughts. 'I don't care if it's an imposter; just let L be safe! I can't… I can't lose anyone else… Not again…'

"L…" Raito's eyes narrowed in thought as he coughed, his body trembling in pure pain. "Is that you? Are you alright?"

"Hm…" Standing up, the other man kept his face towards the corner as Raito moved his arms once more, the chains jingling in succession to one another. "Is that who I look like to you? I guess I did a good job, then, _Raito_-_kun_."

"… … … Who are you?" Raito whispered as he stared at the deceivingly malicious man in both relief that L was not captured with him and fear of what was to befall him and the niggling thought of whether or not L was faraway and safe. "Who… are you?"

Not a moment after the question was made did the dim lights illuminating the stark white room go out, leaving a blanket of stale darkness in its wake. Raito closed his eyes as flashes of pain coursed down his body, prickles of fear crawling up and down his spine as footsteps echoed within the room.

'L… please be safe, L… please, be…'

The teenage pop star felt something prick his arm as his eyes then grew weary. Trying to grasp onto reality one last time, the feel of thin cold hands pressed against his slightly crooked arm causing a gasp of pain to relinquish itself from Raito's throat.

'I never got… to tell him… how much I… needed him…'

As Raito closed his eyes against the vertigo encasing him along with the darkness, he had to wonder if he would ever get the chance.

* * *

L felt his eyes swell up with tears as he watched the screen go completely dark, wanting nothing more than to grab Raito and get out of this… place.

'There is an 84.9 percent chance that both Raito-kun and I will not be found, and most likely be disposed of, unless B plans for something far greater than what I have anticipated…'

Hanging his head in anger, L felt his fists clench as he squirmed, feeling the rope burn his wrists in satisfaction. Inflicting just a bit more pain upon himself was the least L could do, since Raito was bound to feel so much worse in the time to come…

Feeling a series of quaking shudders envelope his body, L morbidly wondered how long it would take his companion to break along with him.

"You promised you would stay with me, Raito-kun…" the shivering detective whispered as he eyed the floor in front of him, droplets of water falling from his obsidian orbs in a frantic pace. "Please… no matter what happens… just _stay_."

* * *

A tanned hand unlocked the wooden door in front of him as he stepped inside, dark brown eyes narrowing in suspicion as a vacant apartment met his foreboding gaze. Pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose, the middle-aged man coughed as he set his bags aside and strolled through the various rooms of the apartment, turning on the lights in each room he entered and carefully examining each item carefully from a distance.

Looking a door slightly opened, the gray-haired man silently peeked inside, smiling faintly as he peeked inside, met with a homely bedroom with a rather spacious interior. Taking a step inside, the aging man smiled as his bifocals caught a glare in the light, old bittersweet memories sparking within his mind's eye.

'Raito… where are you?'

"If I may be so bold as to ask," The bespectacled man stiffened in shock as a cultured voice along with a click of the safety of a gun being pulled echoed within the room, making him reach for what lay hidden within the blazer he was currently adorning… "Just who you are and what you are doing here, it would be much appreciated if you answered as quickly and precisely as possible, sir."

"And just who the hell are you?" The forty-something year old man scoffed as his fists clenched in anger, his frustration building up by the second. "I doubt butlers get their own gun when their bosses are away, and the person who owns this place is paranoid enough to implant security within his own home…"

"Who I am is none of your concern. Now, if you do not tell me who you are, I may be forced to call the police, and trust me when I say it is quite plausible they will find you harmed if you continue to reach for the gun settled within your left side."

"… Do you… know where the owner of this apartment is?"

"It depends on which one you speak of."

"Which…" Eyes widened as the man felt a small bit of sweat gather at the back of his neck. "You know, then, that the name this place is leased by is-"

"Completely fake?" The other man snorted as he felt his mustache twitch in irritation. "Indeed."

"My…" The middle-aged man sighed before slowly turning around, hands within the air as if admitting defeat. An elderly gentleman with receding snow white hair and a pure white mustache stared at him, Caucasian in descent. "My son… Yagami Raito. Please… please tell me you know where he is?"

"Hm…" Watari smiled sardonically, gun still aimed directly at the other's heart. "So you are Yagami Soichirou, correct? Tell me, Yagami-san, as I am feeling gracious today, just why I shouldn't put a bullet hole in your head right at this moment?"

"Ah." Soichirou gasped as Watari's gaze narrowed in anger. "I suppose he… told you about…"

"No, he did not. Though I suppose he assumes I know now because of the person's care he is under at this moment in time." Watari sighed as he lowered his pistol, his worriment over the two boys overriding all other sense of emotion at this point. "Why are you here?"

"I've come to help my son." Soichirou whispered as he slowly put down his hands, warily eyeing the gun still held tightly within the other man's eyes. "Please, I know he may not want to see me, but I… I have to help him. I did something horrible, and I realize that, but I can't see my son waste away like this any longer. If there is anyway I can help him, I will do so. Even if… even if I have to be the one to die for him. Please… just let me help him. Let me… like I couldn't when all this first began."

Watari gazed at Soichirou with sad eyes as the father hung his head in disappointment, not knowing what else he could say.

"… … My name is Watari." The elderly man then announced, shocking the officer before him by the sudden confession. "And as you may or may not know, I work for L."

"L is…" Soichirou began with large stricken eyes, similar to Raito's in just about every way possible.

"L is protecting your son," Watari interrupted, his own eyes now conveying the worry that he felt building up within his chest. "At least, I hope that is the case, wherever they may be."

"What do you mean 'wherever they may be'?!" The middle-aged investigator gawked as he blinked in astonishment. "And just why has L met with my son?!"

"It means that I have no clue as to where they may be and that is L's business, and L's business alone." Watari easily answered, the agitation now afflicting his voice as he stepped out of Raito's bedroom. "Now, are you going to gape at me all day, or assist in what may be a fight for both your son's and, quite possibly, the best detective in the world's survival?"

Soichirou closed his mouth as he nodded, eyes dulled out by the sudden realization that his son was not as safe as he wanted to believe he was.

'Raito…' A deep frown etched itself across Soichirou's face as he walked out of the room, turning off the light as he simultaneously began to close the door. 'I couldn't save you once, but I won't let you suffer again. I won't make the same mistakes, Raito. Never again.'

Dark brown eyes narrowed as the block of wood closed with a small click, glasses shimmering against the dimming light.

'I won't lose you again, Raito. I promise.'

* * *

Lights.

They were surrounding him (_but only partially; he could still feel some part of him keel within himself in pain… screaming for all of this to just stop_) once again.

But they weren't the city lights he had both become accustomed to (_accustomed only because he had no choice; he had never truly held a choice_), yet at the same time, abhorred so terribly (_was it really a stretch to say that if he could die within the darkness of the night, he would not be so horribly sad?_).

No…

These lights were much more lethal (_but only to someone like him where lights reflected just who he had truly become_).

They were blinding him from all sides, making him feel as if the pain he had felt before (_how long ago had __**before**__ taken place, really…_) was farther than it actually was (_which was a lie he could not stomach, as pain grounded him back to this reality around him_).

'Am I dead?'

A hunched over figure with pale white skin and dark eyes stared back at the young man as he ignored his pulsating heart and felt his heart ache with trepidation.

'I want… to stay with you, L…'

Cool fingertips against his now bare back woke him from this vision as Raito gasped for breath, his head pounding in agony as his body rebelled against the restraints now holding him upright. Hands tied upwards behind his back to what appeared to be a rough piece of rope attached to the ceiling of the room, the teenage captive blinked as the blurred images molded together, creating nothing more than a mirage of colors he could not decipher. The sedated brunette's toes barely brushed the floor as his arms, his left one in particular, trembled in aching pain.

"Does it hurt?"

Dirty chestnut hair crusted with clumps of dried blood hung haggardly over deadened caramel brown eyes as Raito attempted to ground himself once again. A voice was tickling his ear…

"Does it?"

Who was talking to him?

"L?" Raito gurgled as a streak of pain lacerated down his back, causing him to gasp in anguish.

"No…"

"Can I…" Raito cleared his throat as best as he could, swallowing down the pulsating throbs of hurt ricocheting up and down his spine. "Can I see L, please? I promised… I promised… please, let me-"

"Do you _really_ want to see him, _Light_?"

Tears ran down Raito's face as he the words from before continued to stumble out of his mouth, his arms going numb from the lack of circulation flowing through them. How long he had been bound this way, Raito did not know, but he _needed_ to see L…

"Yes." Raito finally answered as another sharp scrap was felt against his back, the feel of warm slippery liquid running down his bruised skin in a waterfall of red. "I do. I really, really do. I just want him to be safe…"

"You'll have to give me something in return then." The smooth voice slithered as a cold palm painfully pressed against the brunette's cuts. "Are you willing to pay a price, no matter what it may be?"

"Yes." Raito answered without hesitation, a moment of lucidness barely shining through the mumbled mess of the boy's words. "Anything. I don't care. I don't care."

Two hands along with a short narrow object pressed against his back as the person standing behind him murmured in agreement, the feel of a cool cheek then sliding against his many cuts and bruises.

"I wish to immortalize your words onto more than just paper." Raito felt his heart twitter painfully against his chest as his finger twitched, the tingling sparks of numbness writhing against his appendages in a succession of beats. "Won't that be just wonderful, _Light_? To gaze upon yourself and now just how much of an _impact_ those beautiful words of yours have had on those around you? Even yourself?"

"Do… what you want." The musician whispered, licking his chapped lips as he closed his eyes, the sting of cold steel once again pressing against his flesh, this time, in a slower, much more precise manner.

"Oh, I will." The person behind him giggled as he reveled in the trembling body anticipating the pain it was about to face. "Sing with me, won't you? Your voice is just so lovely, _Light_, even in the midst of so much pain…"

"GAH!" Raito cried out as the blade finally pressed into his skin, slowly moving in different directions as the man behind him gripped his hips in an attempt to steady the teenager in his jerky movements. "Ngh…"

"Hm… hm…" A slow hum began to drawl out as the blade continued to cut against Raito's skin, making him cry out in short intervals. Hot decrepit tears once again began to track down the boy's cheeks in earnest as more of the burning liquid that helped sustain life continue to run down his back, the deep cuts being made amplifying the quivering tingles of fear shooting his heart and subconscious. "Hm… hm… hm…"

"… What do you… ah… hope to gain…?"

_**"I've sacrificed so much for this greater good I can not understand; I've encased myself with bitterness other martyrs would simply brush off..."**_

The whisper went almost completely unnoticed before the singing suddenly stopped, the blade nearly jammed within the pop star's skin halting in it's 'writing' as the hand holding the knife convulsed.

"Oh, Raito-kun…" Raito shivered as the voice laughing tickled his ears, before the knife was roughly pulled out of his back, causing him to shirk away with a cry. The 17-year-old quickly glanced back, only to be met with a pair of haunting crimson red eyes. "You still have so much to learn, don't you? You're pretty little savior isn't the prince charming you think he is… not one bit…"

Raito felt his vision waver as both the amount of blood lost and the loss of feeling within his arms and hands caught up with him, an ache within his throat welling up with a need for some sort of fluid he could not drink. With a swirl of silver and black, Raito felt his arms fall as he dropped down onto the ground in a heap of sweaty limbs and coagulating blood, tears still trekking down his pale cheeks.

Pale white light (_because he was trapped within this void, whether he had a choice to be or not, he was forever damned to be this way_) consumed him…

Oh, how Raito hated this light (_because it reminded him of what he could never hope to be; at least, not ever again_) and this pain (_because pain was all he knew anymore; but at least with L, he had felt something just a bit **more**...)_ in all its fallen glory.

Mocha brown eyes nearly devoid of all life finally closed (_briefly, the ill-consuming thought betrayed him; if only dreams could be made of this darkness that lay just beyond his reach, maybe then…_), leaving only a shell of what used to be Yagami Raito (_he was shattered and broken, and not worth saving, and if he could see that, than everyone else should be able to as well_).

As long as L was alright…

(_yet as long as what was left of his heart was still intact, maybe then…_)

That was all Raito needed.

(_maybe then, he still had something worth protecting after all_)

"L…"

* * *

L felt a part of him sit in shock as something inside of him snapped, watching Raito on the screen lay on the ground in a bloody heap as a string of scraggly words lay carved bloodily against his back as the dark bruises and deep cuts from the accident only accentuated the scarring wounds now forever ingrained on the pop star's shoulder blades and lower back. Dark eyes finally dried of tears as the pale detective felt the last of himself curl up within a ball and retreat within the vestiges of his mind.

_**I've sacrificed so much for this greater good I can't understand…**_

The words mocked the dark-haired man tied down against the chair, the feeling of powerlessness nearly killing him in all its tragic glory.

B stood just beyond the vision of the camera set within the room, staring up at the lens with cold calculating eyes.

L… wanted to kill him.

A dark sinister emotion crawled up where his humanity had rested within his chest as L's eyes closed the sight of Raito crying out in pain replaying over and over within his mind as his hands twitched against his own restraints.

The gangly insomniac did not know how, but he would escape.

And damn B if he stood in the detective's way.

(_even if Raito had never wanted this of him, he would do everything within his power to save the boy... even if it meant condemning himself to his own personal hell all over again)_

Damn him to hell.

* * *

Disclaimer: All lyrics are mine, so no disclaiming necessary except for the obvious elephant within the room. ((Eyes DN characters with slight distaste)) Damn it...

So, I refuse to say a word even now. No matter what you threaten me with. Only two more chapters and an epilogue left, you guys! You're actually going to make it to the end, and all the ambiguity will be over with! Isn't that something to celebrate? XD Many thanks to Kitsune55 for beta-ing, as she is awesome and all of you need to give her a round of applause for such terrific beta-ing (and plot bunny ideas! XD), and thanks for reading, you guys! Tell me what you think, drop me a line, and remember this... YAY! SCORE ONE FOR THE INTELLECTUAL LIBERALS! BARACK OBAMA IS OUR NEW PREZ OF THE US; YESH WE CAN AND **WILL**, BIATCHES! ((Ahem)) Yeah. Just ignore that. Lol!


	15. Letting Go to Hold On

A.N: Note at the top of the chapter this time. ^.^ I'll most likely do this for the rest of the story, so no weird notes at the end of the creepy chapters. XD I will tell you guys this; the rest of the story is not going to be all sunshine and rainbows, so... **if you're sensitive to issues of rape, violence, mentions of child abuse, and psychological torture, I suggest skipping out on the last two chapters altogether.**I think Kit-chan said it best in her note; I have officially turned this into a sob story... and next chapter is not going to be much better, sad to say. All I can really ask is that you enjoy the plot, the craziness and the angst everyone!

On a side-note; many thank-you's and handfuls of sparkly confetti to my bestest beta-reader in the whole wide world, Kitsune55 (who manages to make me feel all guilty without even trying!); dedication is your middle name, my friend, and appreciative is mine! (See! I can be clever when I want to be! XD) Show her some love people! ... ... And me as well, of course. ^.^

Disclaimer: Lyrics are all mine, backstory is all mine, plot bunny originally belonged to Kit-chan; DN and it's awesome characters, though... so not either of ours. We can all wish, can't we? XD

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Fifteen: _Letting Go to Hold On_

* * *

Cinnamon-brown eyes narrowed as they blearily opened. Nothing but stale darkness spun around the tired orbs as the quiet began to pound against the man's itching eardrums.

Whether it was mere moments or an eternity, the silence continued to ring within the slumped boy's ears, the vertigo only increasing as the unknown time stretched out against infinity, until he suddenly heard it…

"_**I can't keep breaking this vow-"**_

And it was then that Raito felt as if he was falling all over again.

"_**Once again, **_

_**I know I'll fall."**_

Except this time, he was not moving.

"_**Torturing myself, in retrospect,**_

_**Is what I've done all along."**_

'Is that… me?'

'Why is it so dark?'

'Can I ever escape this?'

'Why can't I speak?'

'Is this… the end?'

The thoughts blurred over as Raito attempted to steady himself within his own disheveled mind, only to continually end up back at the start. The tiny voice so reminiscent to his own voluminous tenor crept within the room, reminding the brunette of something far more important than his own humanity.

"_**I've made a promise to myself**_

_**I know I can't keep."**_

His pride.

Before Raito could open his mouth and say _something_, small bursts of what seemed to be pain crackled up the teen's spine as he twisted his body in the slightest of ways, and felt the stem of warm, almost burning hot liquid fall from his back in streams, the darkness overwhelming him once more.

Was he awake?

Or was this just another, much crueler form of the mysterious entity named death?

"_**Maybe if I can fool the whole world,**_

_**Then maybe the world can fool me."**_

As Raito slipped away into a much more translucent oblivion, the pain more than he could take for the moment, he wondered if it even mattered at this point.

'Maybe if I could have fooled the whole world… Yet, that's all I've ever tried to do, isn't it? After… after Teru was taken away from me, I became something ugly and undefined; but _Light_, Light could be _whatever he wanted to be_. As sick as it is to say… my life has become nothing but a masquerade, except, it's now I have to wonder…'

He was bound to be doomed either way.

'Why is it that the world _really_ couldn't fool me in return?'

* * *

Once again, B found himself being the observer.

The urge to enter the darkened room intensified with each passing moment, but the temptation was not enough to pull him away from the task at hand. Gently tracing his own face with the blood-caked fingers still stained red even hours after the small bit of exposure to that violent molten gaze.

Even trapped and victimized, there was still a certain fallen beauty to this boy, entrancing in all its miserable refuge.

"_So? That's it?_" Ryuuk chuckled as the hunched man's bleary red eyes, intoxicated by the tantalizing high ignited only a short while ago by the sight of mutilated (_gorgeous_) golden skin and rivers of never-ending red. "_Seems kind of waste if that's all you have in mind for the kid…_"

"Oh, Ryuuk. A person like Yagami Raito deserves more than a few cuts and some degradation. His spirit is much too strong to take physical pain as seriously as that." B smirked as Ryuuk obliviously blinked, tilting his head slightly as if he didn't quite comprehend. "His type needs a bit more… persuasion than what just a small bit of scraps and bruises can offer."

"_And what's that?_"

The smirk covering the blood-stained man's lips quivered as the urge to giggle almost overcame him once more.

"Hm… now, that would be ruining the surprise, now wouldn't it?"

Stepping away from the wooden doorway, B made his way towards the stairs lying just beyond his reach, leaving Ryuuk where he was as the Shinigami continued to stare into the doorway, as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

'_Humans… I don't think I'll __**ever**__ get 'em…_"

* * *

_The first time he had seen him, it had been just a fleeting glance in the right direction at the right time. _

_Long legs covered in tough denim flew by in a blur as short cinnamon brown locks blew against the wind, tanned skin glistening against the bright lights of the street lamps. _

_Without realizing it, he began to stare as the boy ran out of sight, guitar case strapped behind him as it bobbed against the semi-child's back. _

"_Oh my God, I'm so freaking late… they're never gonna wanna have me perform after this!" The boy muttered to himself as he ran past the pale man whose attentions he had seemed to capture in barely three minutes. "No more homework for me, damn it!" _

_Tracing after his figure as the boy entered a brightly establishment that was actually right next to the older man's destination, the dark-haired man wondered just who the striking teen was for just a moment before a glob of red hanging off of his finger was pushed into his mouth, blinking out of his small bit of stupor almost immediately after. _

_Feeling the small object within his pocket vibrate, the young man smirked as he pulled the device out of the small slot within his baggy jeans and snapped it open without even looking down at the screen. _

_A monotone voice gave him simple instructions (instructions he would soon forget, but he didn't know that just yet…) as the pale scraggly boy gave the person on the other line his full attention, the memory of the startlingly beautiful child pushed to the back of his mind as his 'mission' was unfolded to him. _

_The boy might have been eye-catching, but in the midst of such a pivotal moment within their case, the child was really not all that important for now. _

_He had other things to worry about, after all._

* * *

"I can't see anything."

The cutting statement did little to deter the other man within the room now staring at him with vacant scarlet colored eyes.

"You said to watch." L elaborated, his stare just as vacant as the other's, taking note of the bloodied hands and shirt in the back of his mind. "I can neither see nor hear Raito, so may I presume that this darkness is all I am supposed to be paying attention to, then?"

"I didn't think you'd take what I said so literally… I think you're mind might be _slipping_ after so many years of doing the same old thing, day after day, _Mr. Detective_." B smiled unfalteringly, making even L's insides squirm uncomfortably as the urge to haul himself up from the chair and tackle the psychotic maniac consumed him once more. "You're just not paying attention hard enough, are you? Sight isn't all you've got to rely on here, _L_."

Giving the disheveled man a small glare, L turned his attention back to the screen in front of him, the pure dark opulence of the image giving the stark white room he now resided in a much more sinister glow. Catching the underlying hint within B's words, L closed his eyes and simply listened.

And it was then he finally heard it.

So low… yet distinctly familiar.

"… … _**Maybe I'm meant to be broken;**_

_**Unfix-able to even myself.**_

'Raito… what is he doing to you?'

L felt his eyes become glossy behind his closed lids, not willing to allow any of the watery liquid to fall, especially in front of the man standing barely two feet away from him with a small smirk most likely still implanted across his lips.

"_**This might just be it for me.**_

_**Though I know-**_

_**I don't deserve anything less."**_

"Really, for a voice like that, a CD just doesn't do it any justice."

L's obsidian gaze popped open as the gritty voice penetrated the detective's concentration,

Sneering at the dark screen, B moved away from the desk as he barely glanced at L, eyes staring intently at a point past the older man's shoulder. For a moment, the crimson-eyed man just stood there, almost as if he were listening to someone speak, before he blinked and the strange flash of silence was gone.

The small sadistic smile that seemed perpetually glued on his face forced its way upon B's expression once again as L kept his own face as neutral as possible.

"Does this _hurt _you at all, _L_?" Narrowed eyes stared in both distaste and amusement as the younger of the two leaned over the chair, relishing in the silent tension dancing around them in joy. "After all, it didn't take you so long to destroy everything _I _held dear… only fair that I extend the same courtesy, yes?"

"Once a delusional maniac, always a delusional maniac." L mumbled, ignoring the spark of what could have been anger behind the other man's eyes as the words stumbled out of his mouth without his permission. "What would you wish me to say, _Ryuuzaki_?"

"Don't call me that." The other snapped, looking every bit the rage-filled demon he had been emulating from whatever point he had shed whatever humanity he had left and this whole mess had started, whenever that could have been…

"Oh… would you prefer it if I called you _Back-Up_, then?"

B felt his fists tighten in uncontrollable rage before taking a deep breath and loosening up the tight frown incasing his mockingly-grim façade.

He would not let L take control of this.

Not now, and not ever again.

"That is no longer my name…" B smiled serenely as he grinned, the manic gleam in his deadened gaze igniting the spark to come. "At least, not anymore. The time for such idiotic ideals and false beliefs is over for me, L. If you want somebody to tag along with you, then you're most definitely looking at the wrong person. Whatever successors you have now, it's their own burden to bear."

"I didn't… I didn't know he was still there. The situation; it was _beyond _my control." L muttered as he closed his eyes, feeling the weight of his past actions fall squarely on his shoulders.

"_No_… you didn't know, did you?" B gave a wide smile as his eyes seemed to crack like blood red shards of ice, causing the temperature of the room to lower with just the intensity of his gaze. "But neither did I, huh? Does that make it my fault? Does it make it your fault? I don't know… I do know… It's all a great big game… _and neither of us knows the rules just yet_."

Giving the man a strange look, L shook his head as the man in front of him continued to ramble. After awhile the words simply mixed together, creating a jumbled mess of nothing as L focused on the dark screen still in front of him. After a few more moments, the sound of Raito's voice became completely silent, leaving him with a sense of weariness that dug deep within the 24-year-old's soul.

"What happened to you… that has always been my fault. I know that." L whispered as the empty glare now set upon B's face _almost_ made the man strapped down onto the chair feel the guilt he had tried to suppress so many times before, but seemingly always failed to do so. "But why bring civilians into this?"

"It was the only way to get your attention, obviously." B deadpanned, lips now set into a straight line. "Would you have answered a letter, per chance? Or fancied a phone call? I doubt you ever wanted to hear from me again, especially after _that _night in particular…"

"That's not true. I attempted to look for you, even after you ceased all contact with A." Dark eyes met crimson red as the smile on B's face actually wavered. "You obviously did not wish to be found, B."

"Hm… maybe yes. Maybe no. I was a bit preoccupied, so…" B leaned against the edge of his desk as he plucked up the journal and opened it up, scouring through a few passages he seemed to deem interesting. "I don't know."

"How long have you had that?" L finally asked, his curiosity finally getting the best of him. "I disposed of that journal _years_ ago…"

"What, this?" B held the book up as inconspicuously as possible. "Hm… I don't know. Awhile? Why do you ask?"

"You're not psychotic." The dark-haired man's voice reverberated off the walls as his look-alike threw himself away from the desk, throwing the notebook onto the floor as he did so. "You're something else entirely."

B grinned all the more.

"You really hate me, don't you?"

L drew his eyes away from the demented psychotic maniac and focused on the dark abyss still set in front of him.

Still, L said nothing.

"But that's alright." B continued on, circling his old boss with a vicious gleam in his eyes. "Someone _else_ died that day… and if not for a certain special _light_, I would not be here now, speaking to you as I am."

That snapped L out of his stupor as his fists clenched against the rough fabric of the cord pulling his hands together behind his back.

"What…?"

"You honestly don't remember, do you?" B smiled once more, eyes glimmering now with a sick sort of amusement as L blinked in confusion. "Just who was playing that night you had me stake out _your _suspect two years ago? C'mon… you get _three_ guesses. First two don't count."

The realization came almost immediately as L's obsidian orbs widened in shock.

"You were _everything _to me, you know. Everything I wanted and could've been… That's why I worked so hard to do all the things you asked me to." B felt his throat clog up for a moment, the look on his face showing a lucidity L thought lost long ago. "I just wanted you to _see_ me… yet you couldn't even do that, could you, L?"

"I understand why you're doing this to me, _B_, but tell me, why…" The hesitation the other showed at saying his _beloved's _name almost made the mad man vomit in disgust, the pit within his chest expanding exponentially as he spoke of _him_. "Why _Light_?"

"Do you want just one reason? A person like him… there's so much to wonder, isn't there? Everything you can think of, that's it. Because he's special." The disturbed man murmured, looking dazed for a moment. "Because he could be _more_ than what he is now, and he deserves the very best I can give him. Because I want to see that face writhe in whatever emotion I can provide, and have him _know_ it's me doing it. Because…"

"Because?" L stared at the other man as the grotesque grin B continued to allow hang over his deathly pale white lips burned his corneas, imprinting the image within his mind even as he wanted nothing to do _but _to forget.

"Because," B grinned darkly as he plucked up another notebook that had been placed on the desk along with the journal sitting half-hazardously on the floor and quietly walked towards the opposite corner within the room and sat down, bloody fingers curling around his thighs as he stared at the pale man sitting tied and center within the room. "He's been the only one I've truly _seen_ from the beginning as well…"

* * *

_B looked around the area as he pocketed his phone, the sounds of what he assumed to be the boy's voice echoing lightly within the air as he looked up at the abandoned building in front of him. Brushing away some wayward locks from his face, a gangly pale hand threw the empty jar of jam within their grip into some nearby bushes as the decayed building seemed to gaze down on him ominously, warning him to stay away. _

_Cold blue cement trailed up about three stories before the building's decayed interior began to show outwardly, pieces of alabaster and large cracks against the cement trailing up another two stories before the roof cut off its tracks. Large chunks of walls seemed to be missing as B was granted large peeks of inner rooms that were abandoned years earlier; furniture and all. _

_Shoving his bare hands into his pockets, the man barely took in the dreadfully cold air as it whipped past his unprotected face and walked inside as casually as possible, bug perfectly in place beneath his bleach white shirt and rough denim jeans. _

_Light melodic notes floated from the warm building just meters away from the one B was entering, calming him, if only slightly. _

_But the words…_

"_**It was a simple prayer**_

_**That detained my truth to me."**_

_Gripping at the metal handle, small spurts of memory of a home far away from here, in Japan, came back to the man as he took in a small breath and held onto the words for just a moment-_

"_**If only I had the will **_

_**Needed to fortify my own beliefs."**_

_Only to open the door and finally step inside. _

* * *

"… … How… how can this be possible?"

Soichirou held his head between his hands as Watari barely gave the other man a second glance, not sure how to convey pity for a man who had all but ostracized his only son, and was only _now_ receiving the repercussions for it.

'But it is all at Raito's expense that this man finally feels some of the pain that Raito himself has had to expose himself to… can I really feel so cold towards a boy who has both uplifted one of my own and myself?'

Watari silently sighed as he shook his head, a picture of L and Raito sitting in the same couch Soichirou was now sitting on, both boys intertwined within the other's arms as they gazed intensely at each other imprinted within his mind's eye.

'No… I cannot.'

"And does anyone have any idea where they could be?" Soichirou quietly asked the older man who was sitting in front of a laptop, eyes trained in front of him as he still refused to look up at the traumatized father.

"The only people that may have known something about their whereabouts are both in intensive care, one barely hanging onto his life as the other is unconscious without a timeframe as to when he might awaken." Watari explained, taking out his phone and setting it on the table in front of him.

Both men had instantly agreed that staying in the Raito's apartment had been in both of their best interest, especially after Watari explained the delivery left for L just before their disappearance.

The NPA director had tried to hold himself together as Watari had explained his son's vanishing, but to was to no avail. Now, the older man was trying to pick up the pieces, and Watari could hardly say he cared whether or not the man pulled himself together or not.

"I think… I just need to take a bit of a walk around. Look for something distinguishing, or something." Soichirou whispered before getting up and walking away from the man behind the computer now watching him, eyes narrowing sharply as the officer stumbled his way into his son's bedroom.

Hopefully, he would get over his grief quickly… along with his guilt.

But in the meantime…

Picking up his phone, Watari silently dialed a number he knew he would need eventually, yet dreaded all the same. Waiting patiently for the other to pick up the phone, the mustached man wasn't surprised when the ringing finally stopped and all he heard was silence.

"… … We've hit a small problem within our case. Where are you now?"

* * *

Soichirou blinked as Watari's voice faded within the background, not even sure what it was he was doing in his son's room. Instead of getting ahead in the study of the case, he was acting like a child…

But he couldn't really bring himself to do much else, in his mind.

Sitting on his son's bed, Soichirou sighed as he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the beat of his own heartbeat…

(_This is all my fault, this is all my fault, this is all my fault…_)

The graying hair settled on top of Soichirou's shifted slightly as the middle-aged man ran two sets of trembling hands through his now unruly locks of black and silver. Dark brown eyes shimmered as they trailed throughout the room, taking in each piece of furniture and small amount of pictures that seemed to litter the only space in the house that actually seemed customized for a person and not just a sterilized place of stay.

(_It might be my fault, but my boy's strong, and smart, and I know he'll be able to find a way to tell me just who it is that's killing us both inside…_)

The bureau especially seemed to be the most decorated as the cosmetics and hair products, along with the multiple journals and small piles of music littered the surface of the smooth wooden tablet.

Soichirou stood up and brushed past the comfortable bed he had just been resting upon and made his way towards the bureau as a small piece of bright-colored paper caught his attention, dangling over the mountain of music that sat precariously over the furthest corner of the bureau's left-hand side.

'What is…?'

(_He's alive, he's alive, he's alive, he just has to be alive, because I never got to say what I've wanted to for so long…_)

Silently picking up the fluorescent pink scrap of paper, Soichirou blinked as his son's handwriting screamed out for his attention, rushed and slightly disorganized; so different from his regular writing.

* * *

_**To whoever's reading this, whether it be some random officer or a friend who was just snooping around, please, I beg you to listen to what I have to say!**_

_**By the time you read this, there might not be any time left for me to speak, and this may be the last contribution to my own case that I can give, if by chance… I'm no longer of service. **_

* * *

Soichirou's eyes widened as his grip on the piece of paper tightened.

(_Still think he's alive?_)

* * *

_B stared around him as he wondered how he ended up on the ground. _

_(Really, it was all a matter of perspective, because one minute he had been staking the building and the next, he had become what he had always hated)_

_The cold night air made him shiver as he brought his arms up across his naked chest as the absent sound of music and police sirens blurred together in a cacophony of deadly noise compared to his slumbering silence. _

_(He hated it, he hated it, he hated it, why, oh why, did he have to be the one to be chosen for something like this?) _

_B didn't know where the other man had run off to, but he didn't care. _

_All he wanted… was to sleep. _

_(He would not be chained by this, he refused, because even though he wasn't the same, it didn't mean he was __**different**__)_

_What was the matter with him? _

"_**My heart was so unworthy-**_

_**Or so my heart was told."**_

_The voice still echoed within his ear as he closed his eyes, focusing away from the wire just a few feet away from his broken body (broken, but not shattered… vengeance was something to be savored, and he would drink every drop), and concentrated solely on the beautiful voice serenading him to sleep. _

'_Oh, how true…' _

"_**My mind was simply tainted**_

_**By the malevolence of my own soul.**_

_**Much of the problem seemed to lie into the fact**_

_**My redemption was simply not considered."**_

_(Slowly, this sleep will consume whatever refuge I have left…)_

"_**But now my journey is over,**_

_**My heart has rid itself of these lies."**_

_(But I have so much more to gain now)_

"_**My mind tells me to hold this cross within my hand,**_

_**But then why does it still burn so much inside?" **_

_Blinking in confusion, B felt himself shakily stand up as if he were not truly in control of his own motions, and stumble over against a crumbling wall. The sounds of people screaming and gunshots joined in on all the other noise now filling the man's ears as slowly slid down the wall now supporting his back, wondering if this was all just a dream…_

_(In the end, it would be seen as nothing more than a passing nightmare, and truly… the end of an era)_

* * *

Light…

Darkness…

Why was it all beginning to blur over for the boy?

The now brightly lit fluorescent lights glaring down on him made him blink in momentary pain as his corneas actually burned for a moment. Hands shaking in sleep deprivation (_because sleep didn't exist anymore_), large brown eyes seemed to twitter as the feeling of cool hard wood soothed his painfully bruised and batter (and now cut open) back. The sticky feeling of dried blood itched and itched, but Raito didn't dare try to reach backwards.

His hands were now free from his former restraints (_why can't I remember why?_), but his right foot was now encased in glaringly cold metal as the boy stretched lethargically, his cargos now ripped and torn beyond repair. Looking over the mattress that now sat next to him, the boy was not surprised to find the lengthy chain attached from his foot bypassing the small wall and attaching itself to the other side of the wall to a piece of rusted metal that hung off the crumbling piece of alabaster.

A part of him felt as if he were perpetually trapped within this place, wondering if he were ever going to be freed.

Yet…

The slight lump against his right thigh hidden within the confines of the pocket hanging just above his knee reminded the boy of what was still inside.

'I can do this. I can survive this. He can't take me if I don't let him. I won't lose myself… not _**again**_.'

Taking in a shaky breath, the boy slowly rolled himself over on his side, hissing in pain as the blood stuck against both his skin and the wood pulled painfully at his back, biting his lip as his side protested vehemently at the pressure put upon it.

'Bruised ribs? They don't feel broken, so I can only assume…'

Now, Raito could see a bit more of the plain wall and mattress, his eyes straining as something in the form of reddish-brown hand prints seemed to be smeared against the smooth barricade obscuring the young man from his own freedom caught him off-guard.

Somehow, though… Raito wasn't really surprised.

Letting his right hand trail down his leg, the boy carefully unbuttoned the pocket and snuck out the small journal and pen quietly laying them on the floor next to him as he opened the notebook to the nearest available blank page and grabbed the pen with a shaky hand, eyes still a bit blurry around the edges as trembling fingers gripped the pen as tightly as they could as the English words poured over in streams…

_**For there to be a happily ever after,**_

_**There must first be a tragedy**_

_**In which death consumes one's soul**_

_**And another must relive their agony.**_

(_Never-ending tragedies along with memories you can never forget…_)

_**For a story to become a fairytale-**_

_**There must be a knight in shining armor**_

_**Who rescues the damsel in distress**_

_**And relishes in their sweet here after.**_

(_But you have so much to live for, now that you've met someone so much like you…_)

_**If I were to drown in my pain**_

_**And wish against any of my disillusion,**_

_**Would it be possible **_

_**To finally gain my own happy ending?**_

(_What will you do now…_)

_**Darkness hangs in the back of my mind,**_

_**Reminding me that I am not to be saved.**_

_**My story will never be a fairy tale,**_

_**For my happily ever after shall never exist.**_

(_That you finally have a choice in it all?_)

Raito continued to write on, not noticing the small open crack of the door in front of him, nor did he seem to notice the small bright red dot burning brightly up against the upper-right hand corner of the room, as two men silently watched the boy pick himself up once again.

'He'll be mine first…' One thought as blazing crimson eyes traced the figure lying on the floor still writing, anticipating the hours and days and weeks to come...

'But he'll be mine forever…' The other thought as obsidian black eyes barely flinched as the captive man once again struggled against his bindings, knowing it was only a matter of time…

The bright red numbers of the digital clock sitting on top of the desk blinked before changing numbers.

_**12:42 a.m.**_

Only a matter of time.

* * *

_B almost couldn't believe it when he saw him._

_At first, he thought it was just another passing by; someone else entirely who could just barely be passed off as the now blossoming teen-turning-adult, as the air around the boy was different this time around than the first, but those beautiful brown eyes and melodic laugh brought him back to both that beautiful and horrifying night, and B __**knew**__…_

_Nearly six months after the… incident, and the boy was now a young adult, grown beyond the beautiful shell he had once cloaked and now gorgeous in his entirety. _

_The second time he saw him, it was more than just a coincidental glance…_

_(Looking at him was so calming… he could almost say he felt at peace with the just the sight of the boy…)_

_Even much more than just a simple twist of destiny…_

_(He wouldn't write him off again, not when he was such an intricate piece of the puzzle…)_

_This was much bigger than anything he could imagine. _

_(He would catch him in all his splendor and relish in that agonizingly beautiful face once more…)_

_And as the dark-haired man felt himself drawn in by the sensual voice and beautiful face spun of gold, he couldn't help but think that maybe fate was playing her hand once more. _

"_Are you ok, B?" The blonde next to him blinked as the slightly older of the two barely glanced his way, eyes still trained in front of him. "You look dazed…"_

"_I'm fine." B muttered as the man next to him gaze him a skeptical glance in return. "Why are you here?" _

"… … _You know L's been looking for you, right?" The blonde rolled his eyes as B barely looked over from wherever he was staring at, only halfway into the conversation at hand. "Says you're to be considered a danger to, and I quote L on this; "both himself and all of society around him." Sounds pretty bad if even L's saying that, huh? What did you **do **in that miraculous escape of yours, anyway?" _

"_Heh... nothing in particular. Besides, L's just doing what he can to get his hands on me and shut me the hell up." B muttered as he walked closer to the large club in front of him, absolutely sure he had seen the boy go inside a mere handful of second before. _

"… … _You know… they still haven't found that guy." The other man, dressed rather simply in a pair of slacks and a jacket that encumbered his entire torso, whispered as B gave him one last glance of barely there acknowledgment, the burning emotion lying just beneath his murky dark eyes blending in rather nicely with the obsidian-bejeweled color of the fallen twilight. "Aren't you going to at least try?" _

"_That's too bad. Shame on L, then." Was B's simple reply before he continued forward, almost shocking the other man behind him into a spellbound stupor._

"_So what? You're just going to keep running?" The blonde frowned as B shrugged him off, not even glancing at the bouncer giving him the odd stare and entering the smoky establishment as if he owned the place. _

'_Maybe…' B absently thought as he gathered his own trench closer to his person, eyes trained around him as he searched for his 'target,' 'But not forever.'_

* * *

L glanced back over his shoulder at the corner that had at one time occupied his nemesis, the journal and notebook he had held rather closely to his person now scattered on the floor left wide open for L's eyes to see.

The dark journal that had, at one time, housed many of his scribbles barely caught the 24-year-old's attention as he glanced over at the yellowed pages of the other notebook B had cradled closely to his chest, scribbling little letters left and right as he had ignored L before leaving without a word as to why.

Time lost its meaning after awhile, and the dark-haired man strapped against the chair had to wonder how much time he had lost track of simply staring at the boy now visible on the screen…

A pit of what could have been hunger ached within his stomach as L coughed, the beginnings of dehydration and starvation tackling him full force. His already injured body could barely heal when he had the full attention needed to take care of itself, but now, with the conditions it had been dealt with, he doubted he would be at hundred percent for a long time after this…

'If at all.' L sighed as he turned back to the camera in front of him, ebony circles under his dark eyes even more prominent now than before this whole debacle had even started. A picture of Raito lying still as can be on his side lay imprinted on his mind's eye as the small journal from before lay nowhere in sight.

The boy's bare torso still looked very swollen, amplified by the bruises painting it, various spots tinted a pale green, along with the still open cuts, which were all now speckled with coagulated blood and semi-cracked skin.

His wrists were a solid shade of blackish-blue along with open sores now decorating the once-shackled appendages as the skin on the hands and fingers they led to were scored with a pale blue from lack of blood circulation. Raito's face looked a little swollen, but what concerned the detective the most was the still open cut just against his hairline, still bleeding sluggishly even after who knows how long in being locked in here.

After awhile, time became a blur, as the clock sitting on the desk was ignored in favor for the boy on the screen. Sometimes, there would be light illuminating his ghostly figure surrounded by the minimal furniture and dark wooden floor now stained with the boy's spilled blood. The teen's expression never changed; he always kept his gaze above the wall on his farthest right-side, keeping his façade of blank uninterest until the very end.

L could honestly say that he had never been more proud of the boy then in those moments, when others would have simply broken.

Raito was strong.

Raito was a fighter.

Raito persevered.

Raito…

Raito refused to break again.

And that image of Raito still staying strong... was the most beautiful sight L could have seen in his life.

Yet, those moments never lasted very long.

Whether B did it himself or not (_though he didn't doubt it in the slightest…_), the lights after a certain amount of time would flicker off, and stay off for an elongated length of time, leaving L with only the darkness and the prayer (_he hadn't prayed in so long…_) that his ward was alright.

When they flickered back on (_with each flicker, something pulled within his chest as the sight of the boy appeased him in ways he still did not understand_), the sight of the boy huddled even further within his body as his eyes wildly scanned the area for hidden monsters neither man could ever see cut even deeper than the pieces of rope rubbing roughly against his now red and blistered wrists.

But for now, he could see Raito, and if he could see Raito, Raito was alright. If he could hear Raito's breathing (_even through the darkness, the sounds of Raito's breaths still comforted him, even though he knew they shouldn't_), then Raito was still alive, and Raito could still be saved.

Still be…

L couldn't help but think that even if he wanted to do all he could to rescue the teen, there was something against him in this situation; something more than just _B _himself, though why he thought that way, L did not know. Gripping the handles of the chair, the bound investigator felt time slowly drip away from him as he stared into the screen in front of him, concentrating solely on Raito and only Raito.

(_in the end, time was only another minute obstacle in their way; simply another game they knew they could not win…_)

Dark eyes blinked slowly as the picture began to fade around the edges, little by little. Raito's face became blurry as L took in a deep shaky breath and attempted to steady himself in vain…

(_but would it be so bad to at least… try?_)

* * *

"_**If you leave-**_

_**I'll bid you goodnight;**_

_**But never a farewell."**_

_The piano keys were gently touched as the brunette shined in the spotlight, light hazel eyes glistening against the multiple fluorescent sparkles glowing over him and the large instrument he was playing. _

_The man playing guitar next to him strummed the instrument's strings slowly, harmonious chords blending together as his dark neon blue hair swayed against his cloth vest and white tee-shirt, dark sunglasses obscuring his own vision as the drummer behind them quietly set up a smooth rhythm along with the quiet tenor of the 16-year-old's tenor as he continued to sing the lyrics he most likely wrote himself. _

"_**In my dreams, I'll see you**_

_**Along with the memories I may tell."**_

_It seemed like a fairly simple song, and would probably become popular in time; one of those rock ballads that would probably be extremely hard to kill off, no matter how hard die-hard fans and the band themselves would try. _

_Smirking at the silent joke made, B sat down at a table set on the farthest side of the room as the boy's presence seemed to light up the smoky establishment even more than the strobe lights surrounding them._

_Multiple tables encircled the stage the band were centered on, the bar on the far right of B's peripherals encompassing much of the club's interior as a large dance floor sat just round the other side of the stage. Random bodies swayed to the sensual music as countless others continued to sit, staring longingly at the man in the center of it all. _

"_**When you say your last goodbye,**_

_**I'll answer with a hello."**_

_If there had been any question as to whether there was a chance that this… man was the child he had seen all those months ago, just one sound of the brunette's voice completed shattered those illusions. Silky brown locks obscured the boy's pure gaze as his eyes roamed over the establishment, even skimming by B's table with a small smile. _

_B liked that smile, for some strange reason. _

"_**Since to me, it'll be just another meeting **_

_**Of two souls recapitulating themselves."**_

_Yet as the boy continued on in his song, B noticed the teen's gaze gradually make its way towards one general direction, until it was pinpointed at one group of people… and then, finally, one sole person. _

_The sleekly dressed bespectacled man smiled warmly as __**his**__ little dove sang to him, __**serenaded **__him…_

"_**When you cry your final tear,**_

_**I'll wipe it away with a smile-**_

_**A smile that shall reflect no sorrow;**_

_**Only the happiness of our times."**_

_The glass in B's hand tumbled over the table as pale fingers twitched against the wooden tabletop, the gangly man sneering as he kept his eyes locked with the man sipping on his drink in complete obliviousness. _

"_**The only thing I can give you**_

_**Is a remembrance of what we once were."**_

_A whispered 'I love you' unmistakably fell from the older man's smiling lips as he kept his dark-brown sights on the singer still on stage, a strange calm smoothing over B's emotional tide as he turned his head and once again gazed at the boy lulling out what seemed to be the last of his song. _

"_**My only comfort is knowing…"**_

_The song slowly came to a sweltering halt as Raito turned back to the piano and closed his eyes, fingers pressing down on the final chord of keys as his voice faded into the oblivion B had come to associate with the tranquility of darkness. Whatever anger and melancholy the once-prodigal protégé held within his dirty clenched hands were blown away as B forgot about all else except for the boy sitting right in front of him, only meters away. _

'_So pretty aren't you… whatever your name might be.' _

_The boy's eyes opened as he smiled gently over at the crowd, his eyes unfocused as B felt the corners of his lips twitch upward. _

"_**Our memories shall always remain."**_

* * *

Raito sighed as the lights within the room once again flickered off, leaving him in another shroud of perpetual darkness. Shifting his hand, Raito moved the gaunt appendage until it hit the mattress lying directly next to him and clenched the fabric of the springy surface, pulling himself up as best as he could within the stale darkness of the nearly empty room and battered state of his beyond-damaged body.

Throwing himself over the side of the semi-soft plane, the chain attached to his right foot jingled in harmony to his movements, chorusing along with his grunts and groans of discomfort as Raito slowly pulled himself over the mattress and curled within himself in the blanket of tranquility the darkness had to offer.

Instead of feeling suffocated, Raito felt almost liberated as the silence once again lulled his never-resting mind into a faux-state of relaxation, the notebook once again hidden within the confines of his cargo pocket against his thigh. His mind was a blank slate as his opened eyes (_or were they closed?_) took in the dark abyss enveloping him in both relief and paranoia.

(_The darkness only brings memories best forgotten, after all…_)

So enthralled in the dark silence surrounding his every being, Raito did not notice the small creak of the door as it opened slowly, the darkness not disturbed in the least as the 17-year-old huddled himself up even further within the small amount of cushion now surrounding him.

Counting down the seconds (_the only amount of time he could keep, after all_) within the back of his mind, Raito wondered when he would be able to see the light of day again.

(_But really, is the light so much better?_)

* * *

Soichirou sat down as he held the note within his shaky hands, dark brown eyes watering slightly as his son's scribbled over handwriting managed to shake him more than he thought it would. He could still hear Watari's voice in the backdrop of the large bedroom, but his limbs refused to move.

The note was short and obviously made in a hurry. Watari had told him beforehand that both L and Raito had left the apartment in a rush to make it to a safe undisclosed location, as the murderer had sent them some sort of 'gift.' After reviewing the case notes both L and his son had made (and impressed at both men's inquiries and conclusions), Soichirou had to wonder what was it that had panicked L so much to have them leave so abruptly.

Ignoring the ache within his chest, the bespectacled middle-aged man sighed as he brought his sights back to the straggled writing and slightly crumbled piece of bright pink paper and concentrated on the words in front of him.

* * *

_**To whoever's reading this, whether it be some random officer or a friend who was just snooping around, please, I beg you to listen to what I have to say!**_

_**By the time you read this, there might not be any time left for me to speak, and this may be the last contribution to my own case that I can give, if by chance… I'm no longer of service.**_

_**I know it's a lot to take in, but I haven't been given enough of a chance to actually say anything before now, and quite frankly, I don't know how much time I might have left, even with a world famous detective on my side. There are a lot of holes in this case, I've realized, but one avenue we haven't yet explored… is my own. **_

_**It wasn't until tonight that I realized that that horrible night in my hotel wasn't the first of the murders, and I truly believe that unless this mad person is caught, it will not be the last. From the beginning of my national tour early this year until now, every place that I've visited has had strange murders suddenly spring up at my appearance. I never paid much attention to it on the news, since my name of course was never really brought up, but the styles, the arrangement of their desecrated bodies, the victims, the planned out formation of each piece of the puzzle… that's how they all connect, from that time and now. **_

_**They were all my fans. **_

_**There was one incident especially, after… after a brutal event in my life that sticks out in particular. A man that had assisted in assaulting me not even a year ago had barely been the first, I believe. The next morning of my own assault, he had been found the next morning in literal PIECES across his apartment, a large bloody mess found in every room as words I can't remember lingered in every space in red. It was revolting to even look at. Even with what happened to me, I felt more disgusted than anything else, as it simply served as a reminder of what I had truly lost. The small bit of vindication a part of me gratified in was the only thing that carried me out of that place alive, as I did everything I could to simply forget…**_

_**But I couldn't. And I thank God I didn't. **_

_**The only thing I ask is that you attempt to investigate these strange murders. My tour locations are all archived on my website, and with this information, you may be able to find the person you need. He obviously wishes to be found, and there may be a clue here others have simply overlooked. Because…**_

_**I might be lost, but this case still has a chance to be solved. **_

_**And isn't that what true justice is all about in the end? **_

_**-Raito Yagami**_

* * *

Soichirou almost dropped the note before his body took over for him and his feet hit the floor in an unsteady pace of steps and harsh breathing. Opening the door to his son's bedroom, the older man almost fell over as Watari stood poised to knock, his snow white eyebrows furrowed at the seemingly panicked expression Soichirou presumed to be unknowingly set over his own face.

"Yagami-san…"

"I think my son found a lead, Watari." Soichirou simply stated before handing over the brightly colored piece of paper to the older man and made his way to the computers set up in a semi-blind haze.

"Indeed…" Watari whispered as he himself also walked over to the computers himself and sat down, still staring down at the note within his hands.

Soichirou barely gave the man another glance as he kept his eyes on the computer screen, hands rapidly flying over the keyboard in succession of clicks and strokes.

'I'll find you, whoever you are…'

* * *

"_Honestly B, this is getting to be a bit much, don't you think?!" The blonde scowled as he turned his attention towards the dark-haired man sitting next to him, sipping on some sweet concoction colored a bright red. "I'm starting to think you might just be a __**bit**__ obsessed with this kid…" _

"_Not obsessed." B muttered as he drank more of his drink, for once not dressed in his rough denim jeans and plain tee-shirt (so reminiscent of the old times…), and almost completely unrecognizable in his dark slacks and pale blue long-sleeve shirt. Obsidian colored locks were brushed aside as a pale gaunt face stared up at the stage now inhibited by the familiar light-haired performer and his piano, hazel eyes once again alight with a strange addictive emotion that B could not name. "Just… fascinated, is all." _

"_Really?" The blonde looked as skeptical as he felt, knowing that when B felt any sort of fascination with anyone, it usually led to all sorts of trouble over the horizon. "I severely doubt that with the way you've been scoping him out like some sort of stalker." _

"_Hm." B hummed as he took another sip of his drink before pushing the empty glass away from his person, another familiar individual, this one not as appeasing to look at as the first, catching the corner of his eye as the blonde beside him continued to speak. _

"_I guess I'm getting no straight answers out of you tonight, then." B's companion sighed as he took a swig of his own shot, the sting of cheap vodka burning the lining of his throat in one swallow. "But I've got to at least try, hm? So, if I've asked you once, I've asked you a billion times; what about you-know-who?" _

_B blinked as he turned back to the conversation at hand, a little more than annoyed at being interrupted in his staring. "What does he have to do with anything?"_

"_Besides everything?" The blonde countered, quirking up an eyebrow in slight amusement. _

_The lighter of the two scoffed as the calming atmosphere of the club began to bubble over within the conversation at hand. "That's a part of a past I don't carry with me anymore."_

"_So that's it? No more hero-worship from you?" Skepticism lined the features of the younger of two's face as the blonde slowly brushed away the glass from his person, leaning back against the chair he now sat in. _

"_Was it ever really a 'hero' type of worship, anyway?" B whispered as he hunched over even further within his seat, grayish-black eyes still set on the tan-skinned man smiling over the crowd as he continued to play piano. _

"_No…" The blonde whispered as he bitterly smiled at his oblivious counterpart, a strange sense of irony hanging behind those words that continued to elude others… even his own former 'partner.' "I don't think so." _


	16. Torn in the Aftermath Once More

A.N: Ta-DAH! I finally came out with a new chapter with LIA! Um... wooh? ^.^; Yeah. Let's just stick with that. So, this chapter was incredibly difficult to write, and as I wrote in my last A.N., I knew it was going to be. A... lot of stuff happens here that even makes me squirm. But, yeah. Sorry. Honestly, it didn't come out as badly as I thought it was going to be, so I think I can deem it safe. Though, if you would please, notice the rating change. ((Points at Rating)) Difference? Most definitely. Warnings from last chapter still apply, so (read this, damn it!) **if you are uncomfortable with issues of rape, violence, slight mentions of child abuse (though extremely vague) and slight amounts of mind-fucking, TURN BACK, I SAY! TURN BACK! **I honestly don't think I'll scar anybody (it really isn't as horrible as other stories I've read), but still. You have been warned, my minions.

Anyway. -.-; I'd also like to say that though this story has elements of Canon, it is still EXTREMELY a/u. So I'd rather no one tell me Beyond was born with (Mumble, mumble, mumble *spoiler*) or that a certain person is (Mumble, mumble, mumble *spoiler*) because I know that. But, I also like messing with my characters... and remember, it's all about the plot-points. XD We'll be seeing more of those next chappie, I promise!

SUPER EXTRA SPARKLY THANKS GOES TO MY RYUUICHI (actually, she's just my beta, but still! Ryuuichi-status! XD) KITSUNE55 FOR BETA-ING THIS CHAPTER AND LOOKING OVER MY STUPID MISTAKES. Honestly, what would I do without you, hon? ^.^ (Too much Gravitation on the brain! Lol!)

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Sixteen: _Torn in the Aftermath Once More_

* * *

_**Why is it so… dark?**_

_Large murky eyes twitched as they closed, warm appendages covering their small body as a tiny whimper escaped the small boy's throat. Lips quivered silently in fear as both the boy and his mother sat in the furthest corner of the room within their tiny apartment. Long dark hair fell over lithe shoulders as words began to pour from the woman's mouth, almost indecipherable in their breathy quiet gasps. _

_**Mommy…**_

"_Our father, who art in heaven…"_

_**I'm scared.**_

_The small boy huddled deeply within the young woman's arms whimpered as she whispered words he could not really hear within his ear, dark hair continually falling over his pale face in a disarray. The banging against their door increased in volume as cracks began to ripple down the wooden doorway, his mother's voice slightly increasing in volume as she stumbled to her feet, her son in tow._

_**Daddy's gone…**_

"_Hallowed be thy name…"_

_**Was he ever really here?**_

_Opening the closet door that lay right next to her, the young mother threw her son inside as he yelped, ignoring his silent tears as she wiped them away, her own cheeks a flushed red as watermarks ruined their pretty pallor. _

"_Thy Kingdom Come-"_

_**He made you cry the other day, really, really bad-**_

"_Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven…"_

_**But I've never seen you cry harder than when those bad people threw him on the ground**_

_The child whimpered once more as a pale finger lain over his shaky lips, tasting nothing but his own tears and the salty, slightly ashen skin of his mother's thin digit. _

"_Mommy…" The boy whispered as clothes toward over his tiny form, the darkness nearly encumbering his small limbs as his mother's grip on the wooden blockade twitched as she continued to stare down at her son's distraught face._

_**And made him go away.**_

"_Give us this day our daily bread-"_

_**You'll stay, won't you mommy?**_

_Kissing her son on his forehead, the small child sobbed as the banging's on the door several meters away from them only continued on with much more force, the scent of ash and smoke beginning to seep from the under the door and through it's growing cracks. _

_**Please…**_

"_And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,"_

_**I don't…**_

"_Mommy, please…" _

_**I don't wanna be alone.**_

"_And lead us not into temptation-"_

_**If you fall asleep,**_

"_Come in with me, please..."_

_**Let me sleep with you.**_

"_But deliver us from evil." _

_**If you turn cold and white,**_

_Closing the door, the child chocked on his sobs as the young mother felt the last barricades standing between herself and the madman just beyond the door finally shatter. Feeling one last tear crawl down her face, she barely coughed as the smoke invaded the room and hoped to god that this would work…_

_**Let me lose my color too.**_

"_Amen."_

_**I don't want to be alone, mommy.**_

"_Mommy!"_

_**Not when all I have is you.**_

* * *

L gasped as his eyes shot open, the large shadows under his ebony-encrusted orbs amplifying the red strands now inhabiting his corneas, bloodshot in all of their debilitated splendor. Wrists aching in agony, the 24-year-old momentarily struggled against his restraints in vain, his conscious mind still cloudy and indecipherable as the rooms blanch walls began to slowly but surely suffocate his conscious mind. Slowly blinking away his drowse-filled stupor, L felt himself fall away from the memory he had thought to have buried so long ago.

'It must be my lack of sugar intake…' The raven-haired detective thought to himself as he shook his head, taking in deep breaths as the cold air stifled his mental processes even further. Pictures of a past he could barely remember (and would like to stay that way) recoiled about in a whiplash of thought, whirling about in his memory banks like a plague that just did not want to go away.

The image of the teenage singer in front of him seemed to blur even further as his fuzzy eyes accustomize themselves to both the lack of light now surrounding him and the dim light slowly fading within the room.

'How long has it been, Raito?' L wondered, the thought that somehow the boy could somehow magically hear his questions and words comforting him in ways that once again _**he simply did not understand. **_

(_Emotions had __always __**been**__ and would always __**be **__dirty little things that he knew he could not cling to; he had learned this lesson early enough to know that fact in particular_)

'Do you think of me in that room when the lights are out and everything seems especially bleak? Because I always think of you, Raito… even when I cannot _see_ you, I think of you.' L's head began to spin as he felt his breathing shallow out once more, the pull of unconsciousness slowly lulling him into an abnormal sleep that he did not (_should not) _wish to submit to.

( _Nothing had prepared him for this; not even the small moments in between where you actually remembered what it was like to be as __**human**__ as everyone else_)

The lights on the video feed began to flicker as L attempted to concentrate on the body lying as still as could be on the lumpy mattress barely on its last springs, the digs of the pillow-like material giving the 17-year-old an odd shape of form as his bruised and battered body illuminated with both cuts and scraps alike began to scar over and imprint themselves permanently on the once untainted golden skin.

(_Hide from everyone else, but never from yourself; you knew it was all a lost cause, anyway_)

'I know we'll escape, Raito…'

( _Keep telling yourself lie after lie after lie, and maybe you'll begin to believe it all eventually_)

The fleeting thoughts and spliced images running through the detective's mind as his eyes closed once more were barely remembered as blessed darkness and sweet silence took the 24-year-old within their embrace. The lone figure the pair of dark eyes had once been staring at so adamantly faded from sight as the screen resembled the obscure shadows unwillingly entrapping L within their firm grasp.

(_But really, when it's all is said and done…_)

A twitch of a finger on L's right hand was the only warning given before he succumbed to the devilish darkness once more.

(_If you can't even save yourself… how do you expect to save him as well?_)

* * *

It was sad to say, but Raito was actually beginning to get used to the darkness surrounding him.

The darkness was a constant amidst the changing variables of his unstable environment, just as the small amounts of time Raito was able to spend in the light were. Whether it be the small constant scuffling of shoes just outside the closed door to the room he know resided in, or the continuous taps he would hear (_whether they be for hours or minutes or seconds at a time, Raito could not say; time was no longer a factor to him anymore_) just alongside the walls encasing him, any control the singer felt he could gain was soon stripped away from him as the person controlling all of this exerted their dominance in the most… _nuance _of ways.

If the feeling of perpetual pain wasn't good enough, (_because Raito had forgotten what it was like to not feel the ever-aching bones and irritatingly crackle of deep slices against his stretched flesh_) the man who had resembled L so much (_and Raito knew it was him, damn it_) constantly messing with his head did not help very much.

Draped in the cold darkness, the small sounds that the musician had ignored when the lights had captured him in all of their ill-tempted beauty came alive as small shrieks and deafening hollowed yells reverberated into his room, making Raito wonder just what it was the other man did in his spare time.

Raito attempted not to think about it for too long, however, as flashes of disturbing images would float up into his mind, making him wonder if those same hoarse screams and gasping pleas of help would soon escape _his own _mouth when he least expected it. Sleep evaded him as his red-rimmed brown eyes ached with exhaustion, the constant vigilance breaking him even more than the constant hunger and the threat of dehydration hanging over him like a pendulum of inevitable death, swinging much closer to his old sense of self.

Twitching hands refused to sit still as the darkness became all the more stagnant, leaving Raito to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he would be better off just…

Gone.

The weakness of his limbs began to pang fervently from lack of use as the shackle against his right foot jingled, his feet slowly turning a pale blue along with the ill-looking yellowing tint of the rest of the skin covering the better part of his body.

Raito didn't think (_tried not to think_) about what it was like to not be stuck inside this room, about what _freedom_ (_something that had been taken from him so long ago_) actually tasted like in the olden days where he had simply been someone fighting for a sense of entitlement amongst himself.

Despite what his captor might believe, despite what his onslaught of ravenous fans believed, despite what even the detective who had scurried into his life without so much as a blink of an eye might even believe, his life wasn't so very different from all this, was it?

The pain had always been there, underneath his physical body and pushing past something deeper than just _skin_. These broken ligaments and stained patches of broken flesh were just _representations _of everything he had ever felt, especially after his own… _experience_.

(_What can you really take from someone who has nothing else to give?_)

The fingers twisting against the bare fabric of the torn mattress lessened as the thoughts Raito attempted to break away from thinking kept circling his psyche and tried to ground himself back into the situation at hand, knowing that any distraction would give the person silently looming over him in the shadows surrounding him an advantage that he did not deserve, one he had not yet _gained_.

No matter what the situation, Raito was not one to simply be _subjugated _against.

He would not fall that easily…

Not again.

(_Only one person has been able to truly see through the façade and they're not __**here**__…_)

Raito squeezed his eyes shut as his face screwed up into an unmistakable cringe, burying his face into the mattress as he staved (_in vain_) off the thoughts once again swirling about in his head, trying just _not to think _(_because if Raito thought about it, then Raito would lose, and he really __**would **__have nothing left except more bittersweet pain to add to the never-ending pile that grew by the second…_) about the man who had inevitably brought him back from the brink of destruction.

(_One person out of so many… what will be left of your future after he is gone as well?_)

Little by little, the lights within the room began to flicker back on, destroying the last sanctity of Raito's haven of solitude as the rattling screeches and bawls of helplessness began to fade once more into the far reaches of Raito's mind where they could be ignored, if only for the moment. His dilated pupils painfully shrank back to normal size as the burning luminosity of the brightly lit lights scorched his corneas and vanquished the last of the shadows into the small corners of the dirty room where Raito's eyes simply could not reach.

The only sound truly heard within the now silent space was the hard, painful beating of the 17-year-old's quivering heart as Raito steadied his breaths and tried to ground himself once more.

(_There's only so much one person can do when both death and mania stands in their way; when there's no where to run and so little time to hide_)

Whoever was watching him; wherever they were watching him, would not get the satisfaction of seeing Yagami Raito break.

(_Didn't they know? he was already __**broken**__, so it didn't much matter anyway_)

Not for now, anyway.

(_But, for now, he would play the part of being __**whole**__… if only for the sake of the sanity he still had left_)

* * *

Blue eyes trailed up towards the very top of the apartment complex in front of them as a long dark trench coat trailed after a lithe form drenched entirely in black, billowing in the aftermath of the wind following their graceful stride.

The man scoffed as he pulled out his cell phone and checked the time, not surprised to see three missing calls shining vibrantly against the small device's screen. Knowing that two days was more than enough time to lollygag (_and he was so sure that Whammy was going to have his head for that alone…_), the pale stranger quietly hummed to himself as he stuffed the phone back into his pocket and slowly stretched his arms up into the air, sitting down by the stair case and gazing up at the sky in exhaustion.

Strands of blond hair fell over oceanic orbs still draped by large sunglasses as the hat on top of the man's head tilted back a few centimeters, a loud yawn escaping his pastel lips in a slow mewl.

He was pretty sure he knew _exactly_ who was behind this whole debacle, and the added plus of having L between their unstable hands was probably making his former comrade tremble in excitement. The irrelevant facts weren't what drew the blonde to this place, because unlike _L _and _B_, the uncovering of the "what's" and the "how's" weren't nearly as thought-provoking as the "_why's_"…

'Why, why, why, why…'

Scratching his nose in irritation, the blonde-haired man sighed before closing his eyes and enjoying the last rays the late-afternoon sun had to offer.

He was sure a few more minutes just sitting here wouldn't hurt anybody _in particular_…

* * *

"Have you found anything, yet?" The older of the two men whispered over their computer as he searched through endless news articles and aging news broadcasts all at once, his silvery eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Soichirou sighed as he swept his glasses off his face in a semi-dramatic gesture and shook his head, knowing the other man couldn't see him, but not being able to respond verbally as quickly as he would have liked. Dark brown eyes narrowed as page after page of useless information was laid out before him in both paper and screen, nothing leading them any closer to a name, a face, a _hint_…

'Maybe Raito was wrong…' Kept floating inside the detective's head as his eyes ached from days of barely sleeping and hours and hours of constant reading. Red rimmed eyes trailed from the computer in front of them to the loads of files and stacks of papers brimming with information barely a year old.

"_**The only thing I ask is that you attempt to investigate these strange murders. My tour locations are all archived on my website, and with this information, you may be able to find the person you need."**_

The words swirled around in a mess of frustration and annoyance as Soichirou brought out the timeline he had built from scratch out of excel and studiously examined it once more.

Still, there was nothing much to really work with…

"No, nothing for right now." Soichirou irritatingly mumbled as Watari barely nodded over his laptop and continued typing away, subtly glancing at the time hanging on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen he was so heavily concentrated on. A small exhalation of breath was the only sign of annoyance the elderly man expressed before he continued typing away, his eyes moving from left to right in a quick precise manner.

'At times, I wonder what I've done so wrong with the children who were at once under my diligent care…' Watari thought to himself as he shook his head, knowing that the person he had come in contact with (much like his _other_ protégés…) would beckon at his call whenever he felt the need to, no matter what sense of urgency the tired old man conveyed in his messages.

At times like these, Watari wondered why he never took up drinking…

"Watari! Wait… I think I found something!"

But then something glorious would happen and the thought would delete itself from Watari's mindset as the laptop was pushed away from his being and he moved over the couch just barely a foot and a half away from his person.

"The pattern Raito was talking about… I found it! Can you… see it?" Soichirou breathed in as he traced the recordings with his finger, the digit shaking with excitement and what Watari presumed to be from the abundance of caffeine now running through his body along with the adrenaline thrumming so vibrantly along his veins. "Each murder has elements of the recent ones splayed within the crime scenes… even the phrases left behind! They're all from Raito's song lyrics, just… cut up."

Watari raised an eyebrow as he leaned forward. "And how would you know that?"

Soichirou sighed as he began jotting down the phrases, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I… may have kept a closer track on Raito than he thinks. But that's not the point. There are certain strings of words left at each crime scene… it might take some time, but I think I might be able to pull them together and see if it makes any sense or leads to any clues. This guy… seems like the type to pull something of the like."

"I see…"

'This looks a little _too _familiar…'

And the thought automatically snapped everything (_everything_) into place.

'Oh dear God…'

Wherever his former student was, he needed to get here as soon as possible.

Because wherever L and Raito were…

There was no doubt that they probably wouldn't be there for long.

At least… (And Watari shuddered internally at the thought) probably not in one piece.

* * *

"It's almost time, it's almost time, it's _almost_ _**time**_…"

B giggled as he bounced on his heels, shoving the jar of jam back into the cabinet as he practically pranced over to the two sets of stairs beside him, altogether ignoring the set going up on his right and gripping the railing of the other stairwell leading down a darkened path.

"He'll love my present, I know he wiiilllll…" B smiled as he skipped down each stair in mock-anticipation, dark red eyes aglow within the decreasing sources of lights. The demented former child prodigy jumped down the last set of stairs with flourish as the long dark conduit led to one doorway in particular…

"I could give you everything, you know…" B whispered to himself as he halted in his sudden mad dash and took in a deep breath, slowly savored every step towards the man he had yet to truly _see _in _days_. "L'll just feed you nothing but lie after lie, leave you with nothing but something ugly and twisted… but I'm not like that, _Light_-kun. I'm not a liar."

B giggled once more, his voice echoing against the thin paper-like chipped walls and cold darkness surrounding his thin destructible being.

"Well… not really, anyway."

Prancing down the hallway made of shadows, hands stained red traced each crack and suspended bump along the once-smooth surface of walls entrapping the unstable scarlet-eyed doppelganger.

"I'll be your _everything_, just like you are to me." B whispered, slowing his pace even further as he stood barely a foot away from his beloved's room, eyes narrowing in response. "I want to take you away and _show_ you just what you can truly _be_. You'll love me, won't you?"

"… Of course he will." B answered himself, holding onto the laughter bubbling within his diaphragm, threatening to rack his very being once again. "He'll love you and worship you and appreciate everything you're doing _just for him_. He'll bend and bend and bend and then… he'll finally just _break_."

Finally, the laughter he had been holding back poured over in stilted breaths as unshed tears clung to the imitator's eyelashes, body trembling underneath the false, tattered shirt stained red and brown and ripped jeans with large holes filled with methodically torn skin and self-inflicted bruises.

_He's only a step away from being yours…_

Mine. Mine. Mine… he's always been mine. Never L's. Always **mine**!

_L doesn't have the right to claim him for himself. Never has…_

No. No. No… I saw him first. I heard him first. I **claimed** him first.

_You have to cut the strings while the bond's still fresh. _

What do I do? What… what… what…

_How else do you destroy something so fragile?_

Fragile… he's not fragile. L is fragile. L remembers things, and regrets them and _hates_ what he's become but he… he relives them.

_He's special. _

He embraces his destruction…

_He's special. _

He doesn't care about what happens to himself.

_He's special. _

He is… _everything _to me.

_He's special. He's what you've always wanted. He's… _

He's…

_He's what you need to survive. Take him. Take him __**away**__ from L the only way you know how. _

_The only way L hasn't been able to __**touch **__him. _

_Revel in it…_

_Make. _

_Him._

_Scream. _

B felt the laughs invading his psyche grow and grow and grow until the sounds of dry sobs overtook the guffaws and the tears no longer clung to his eyelashes but his cheeks, broken fingernails breaking through soft palmed flesh as more blood dripped down those fingers and fell onto the ground where it belonged.

I don't… want to…

_Take what L can never have. _

_And he'll be __**yours**__._

_Only __**yours**__. _

_Don't you want him to be __**yours**__?_

_It won't take all that much… _

_Just a little-_

_**Push. **_

The sobs slowly came to a halt as B took in a shuddering breath, his trembling form now fully leaning against the cold slimy texture of the crumbling wall on its last limbs. Peeking up at the shut door behind sooty eyelashes, the malignant grin now threatening to engulf the pasty lines of skin and dried patches of red and brown scattered around the man's face grew all the more infectious (_but only infectious to the many voices curling around in his head, threatening to finally take control). _

Then he'll be… mine?

_Yours…_

_**Ours…**_

_Whatever you would like, my dear…_

B cracked his neck as he smiled, dark scarlet eyes aglow once again as the protruding darkness cloaking most of his body fully enveloped him in its dull embrace, a pale white hand streaked with red patches of dried jam (_and what could've been something else…_) reaching out to push against the dingy metallic door, wiggling his digits littered with half-bitten fingernails against the steel obstacle, allowing the deep passageway to engulf him whole.

_Whatever __**you**__ would like…_

'… All I want… is him.'

* * *

_B sighed to himself as the blonde-haired man he'd formally been sitting with waved over to him in departure, his fleeting form scurrying back within the small coveted shadows the street corners and far-off street lamps had to provide as the Tokyo metropolitan area left little to be obscured._

"_Raito, that was SO awesome! I don't think I've ever even __**heard**__ a standing ovation that LOUD!"_

_His attention diverted once again, B blended in with the side wall, curling within himself as the door just a few feet away from him fully opened to reveal two male figures and a tiny buxom-like female one, jumping out in front of them in a show of grandeur. _

"_Thanks Misa." The young brunette who had originally caught his eye so long ago blushed slightly as he scratched the back of his head, hazel eyes sparkling with the after-effects of a stage high. His smooth tanned skin was covered for the time being; the autumn air nipping at the ends of his now cherry-red nose as he sniffled rather embarrassingly, an arm slung over his coat-clad shoulder in a show of affection. "It was a little over-exaggerated, though. I thought I did ok at the best, really…"_

"_Don't be so bashful, Raito. You were just as great as that crowd thought you were." The man next to him smirked affectionately as he ruffled the other's wind-blown hair, dark bangs barely touching the rims of his spectacles as B felt a frown touch at his slightly chapped lips. "Besides, when you fake modesty like that, it ends up completely belying your authentic authoritarian and egotistical nature, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?" _

"_Hey!" _

_The chestnut-haired musician's counterparts laughed raucously against the loud sounds of expensive cars rolling past them in a haze of bright colors and quick speed, Raito playfully glowering over them as the non-intimidating expression set on his visage only amplified his usually genteel face all the more. _

"_That's not very nice thing to say to your best and __**only**__ client, Mikami-san." Raito smoothly commented as Misa giggled insanely beside him, skipping over to the charcoal Lexus sitting a few feet away from them, staring at the two men smirking at each other rather affectionately. _

_Teru rolled his eyes before bringing out his keys and turning off the alarm of the car and rolling over to the side, opening the door for his boyfriend as he bowed mockingly. "I'm ever so sorry, Kami-sama. If you would do me the honor of gracing my car with your beautiful sneaker-clad feet and spectacular ass?" _

"_I'd be delighted." Raito chuckled as swept past the man's stretched arm and ducked into the seat, hazel eyes alight with glee. "But now you're forced to treat me to dinner and a date of my choice…" _

"_Oh, the horror." Mikami rolled his eyes as B growled to himself, fists clenching in bone-shaking anger as the cold winds around him blared about in a dull roar. "I'm sure I'll survive, Raito."_

_Watching the bespectacled producer close the car door behind him, B shivered as he watched the content manufacturer stroll over to the driver's seat and climbed in, ignorant of the pale-skinned man still watching both him and his lover within the shadows of Tokyo's finest clubs._

_Feeling his heart ache at the sight of the smile still lingering on the brunette's face as he laughed off something the blonde Lolita commented on behind him, B shoved his partially frost-bitten hands into his coat pockets. _

'_It's just another night, isn't it…?'_

_Shuffling a few steps away from his former hiding space, the stoic former child prodigy almost jumped into the air as he heard something crash behind him, whirling around in a haze of confusion as a blur of black struck against a hefty assemble of garbage cans and large bags of liquor bottles. The half-lit lights speckling the long alleyway in front of him seemed to beckon the intrigued former student as the onslaught of light flurries and large crowds still dancing the night away just meters away from him sang out into the bright lively night. _

'_What the…' _

_Taking a step towards the fallen object, B felt his breath halt within his chest as his hands trembled within the rough fabric of his coat pockets. Something tingled in the back of his head as he crept closer to the garbage cans, wondering just what the __**hell **__he was doing…_

'_Just breathe, Beyond… Just breathe…' _

_Stopping in front of the large amount of metal and pieces of trash, B took a peek over the wreckage as his eyes shone with curiosity. _

"_Death… Note?" A pale hand slowly reached forward and touched the surface of the black notebook sitting face up, waiting to be picked up by the curious onlooker. Stroking the cover with a shaky finger, the young wanderer did not notice the breathless onslaught of giggles cast over his shoulder as the winds whipping around his coat began to bellow with ferocity. "What the hell is this?" _

* * *

'_Death Note… how to use…' _

_Sitting down in front of his decrepit desk which was on its last legs, the notebook lay wide open for open view as a pen was settled within a closed fist._

'_Should I?'_

"_Hm…" _

_Looking at the phonebook in front of him, B sucked in a breath and wrote in a random name on the piece of paper in front of him without even thinking about it. _

"_How am I supposed to know if this even works?"The pale man thought out loud as he almost laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. _

"_**Why don't you write down some more names and find out?" **_

_One last turn of the head was all it would take for Beyond Birthday's aimlessness to come to an infinite end as the sight of a decrepit-looking walking corpse howled in laughter, causing him to almost drop the notebook onto the ground in almost-shock._

"_**Well? Are you really just going to stare at me all day? I'd rather take fear over this…" **__The monster complained as he scratched his head in boredom as B continued to stare at him as if he were some sort of hallucination. __**"A lot more interesting, that's for sure."**_

"_What… are you?"_

"_**Shinigami, of course."**__ The monster answered easily, not the least bit hesitant about the fact. _

"_You're not… Are you…" B shook his head as the beast made no attempt to move forward, simply staring at him with blank red eyes, the large morbid grin hanging off the thing's face in a mockery of perpetual laughter. "No… maybe you're in my head, right? I always knew I was halfway crazy, but… are you… Here to… kill me?" _

"_**Kill you?" **__The monster blinked as it giggled in glee, its gangly limbs twitching from the force of the laughter escaping its body. The small room seemed that much smaller as B barely even looked affected at the sound of it the being's grating voice trembling from its mouth. __**"Nah. Nothing like that… At least, not yet if you play your cards right. I'm here because… of… that."**_

_The beast pointed a long decimated finger at the object held within B's hands as it continued to stare at the slightly bewildered human unblinkingly. _

"_This?" B flipped the book open, eyes still straying upwards from time to time as he caught himself and glanced back down at the back of the cover. _

"_I think," B put up a false smile as a tinge of something quite malignant crept up against the corners of his eyes, darkening his mock-innocent expression. "That you might just be in for a whole lot of explaining, err… what's your name, Shinigami?"_

"_**You can call me Ryuuk. Now tell me, before you start talking your little human head off… do you happen to have any apples around here?" **_

* * *

L sighed as he kept his eyes closed, not wanting to look forward and see either the ever-present increasingly frail body of his friend or the cold darkness that seemed to lurk around every part of his room and its contents.

The feel of tight constraining ropes against his blistered wrists inflamed the already bleeding welts and bruises, now forming intricate shackles against each piece of skin being enclosed by the rough pieces of corded fiber. Opening his eyes against his better judgment, dark eyes fluttered as the detective's vision spun from vertigo.

Stomach growling in protest, L focused on the painfully bright screen in front of him as Raito's still form was joined by another, also staring at the boy from the corner of the monitor's image.

The pangs of hunger were ignored as a much greater pain began to resonate from the far reaches of the 24-year-old's abdomen, creating a distorted feeling within the detective's paranoid mind.

'What are you going to do…?'

* * *

"_Who…" _

_B stared from the dark corner who was perched against as two familiar men stood within a dark parking lot surrounded by masked men, an unsettling sense of paranoia stirring within the pit of his stomach. He clenched his fists as he heard the pretty brunette stutter out the beginning of his question, a slight tinge of fear echoing within his voice as he took a step closer to the producer beside him. _

"_**Oohh… this doesn't look good." **__Ryuuk giggled as he watched from the perch he was sitting on just above B's head, obviously entertained by the sight in front of him. __**"Somebody's about to say goodnight." **_

_B felt his insides freeze almost immediately._

"_Are you… Yagami Raito and Mikami Teru?" One of the men standing forefront asked, not even looking the least bit hesitant._

"_What… who…?"_

"_**You know I can't tell you all that!" **__Ryuuk's uproarious laughter only bothered B, since he was the only one who could hear it anyway. __**"You just better be prepared for what's coming up, Be-yond…" **_

"_What's it to you?" Mikami stated, keeping himself in front of the teenage boy. _

"… _nothing all that much."_

_All that was all that was said as a fist came flying forefront, catching the older man completely off-guard. The familiar face of the perpetrator almost knocked B on the ground as a memory dug into the back of his mind so long ago began to resurface violently within his mind. _

'_No… no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!' _

_B almost fled forward as Raito seemed lost for a moment, before he caught a small sliver of metallic caught within the other man's hands as an arm flew forward and-_

_Blood was all that B saw for just a second's time as the producer's already fallen body convulsed against the wall he was perched against, the last bit of life set within those dark brown eyes withering away in a heartbeat._

_Without a bit of shame, dark eyes turned towards the brunette now shivering on the ground in a crumpled mess of shock. Legs locked together as the men spoke for a bit, before gathering around the vulnerable sixteen-year-old who was still staring at their former lover's body in a state of near catatonia. _

_Cinnamon-brown seemed to melt away as menacing laughter encircled the poor boy, making B take a step back in disgust. _

'_They're going to…' _

_Without a second to spare, B closed his eyes and held the notebook close to his chest. "Ryuuk…" _

"_**Yeah?" **_

"_You remember that deal you told me about?"_

"… _**What about it?" **_

"_Let's do it."_

"_**You sure?" **_

_B heard Raito whimper as the other men's laughter began to reverberate throughout the lone parking lot. _

"… … _Yes."_

* * *

"Are you awake?"

Raito said nothing as he continued to stare at the wall beside him, throat itching for water and stomach burning for food. The metal clasp around his foot seemed to get all the heavier as the metallic feel of cold steel brought the boy back into reality, where all his greatest demons seemed to lay.

"_Light_-kun… can you hear me?" The voice taunted, the mirthless grin on the doppelganger's reminiscent face did nothing to rattle the tired teen as he barely blinked, his eyes far and away from both the man a few meters away from him and the room still caging him.

"These past few days have been some of the best of my life." The murderer admitted to the tired 17-year-old lying on his side, chest barely swelling with air with each passing breath. "I never thought I'd be able to get this close to you before all of this."

"Am I supposed to be honored?" Raito's voice, as cracked and hoarse as it was, hit right on point as he coughed, his dried throat and chapped lips itching for something to soothe themselves with.

"I suppose I haven't been the best of hosts." B concluded as he stared up at the ceiling, index finger poised over his chin in a mockery of the detective silently watching them through a screen. "But can you really blame me? It's not every day you're entertaining musical idols…"

"I should think so." The sarcastic reply caused an onslaught of giggles to escape the older of the two as he jumped on the bed and bounced beside the practically prone body emaciated from lack of food and lack of water.

"You're so _snappy_, but I've _always_ liked that about you." B snuggled in against the singer as Raito cringed in discomfort, weakened body repelling against the source of its misery. "Even when they had pushed into the ground and fucking your brains out, you still had a bit of fight in you, didn't ya?"

Raito felt his body freeze up against his will as large wide eyes trembled with nervousness, making the young musician's face seem more gaunt and sickly than it actually was.

(_How long has he known?_)

(_Who told him?_)

(_No one knows, no one knows, no one knows!_)

(_Why can't the past just stay dead?_)

(_The better question is… what does he want from someone who's already been __**taken**__?_)

Arms tightened around Raito's midsection as B laid his head right next to Raito's, hot breath curling around the boy's ear as he tried to escape the man's embrace-

Only to be pulled further back within the death grip once more.

Hands roamed in opposite directions as one pale set of fingers laid splayed across the singer's heart whilst the other hung off the slim hip within reach.

"_I know you're se-cret…_"

(_No matter how hard you try to escape…_)

"What…" Raito's voice trembled as he felt the uncomfortable weight of legs intertwine with his own, adding to the already unbearable feel of both chains and arms to the mix. "What do you mean? I have no secrets worth pillaging anyway."

"Is that so?" B reluctantly let the boy go as he reached into his pocket and dangled a small key within his hand. "We'll just see about that, now won't we?"

"You're going to… let me go?"

"Not quite yet. Let's lay our cards out on the table, and _maybe_ I'll consider it."

(_In the end, you're always everyone else's pawn…_)

"I have no _cards_. I don't even have my freedom anymore. What the hell can I give you to let me go? Money? Power?" Raito sighed as he gently scoffed against the rough cloth pressing against his cheek as he turned his face, tendrils of exhaustion pulling the singer into a deep sleep he knew he could not afford to luxuriate in. "Those things don't seem all that important to you, or you wouldn't be targeting little ol' me, now would you?"

(_From the beginning, you've always been the one to make all the mistakes._)

"Hm… you play the game so well! Even better than most other people I've played with!" B giggled obscenely as he jiggled the key in front of Raito's face, deliberately keeping it out of reach. "_I _have something _you_ want, and _you_ have something _I _want. Don't you want to know what it is?"

(_You're bending for something you don't understand- how is that any different now as to how you were back then?_)

"Well?"

"Let's play a game, then." B settled in beside the boy as he crossed his legs and patted his knees, the mischievous quirk of the murderer's lips causing Raito's stomach to turn uncomfortably. "How long have you been here, do you gather?"

"… I…" A small pink tongue swiped over chapped lips as scarlet eyes followed the tiny muscle's every movement. "I don't know."

"You really can't guess? C'mon, I'll give you three guesses. Heck, I'll even toss you in a hint. It's between one day… and a year. Begin!"

"I don't… that wasn't much of a hint. And what does this have to do with anything, anyway?"

"Oh, _Lighty-Light-Light_... How about this-" Dark hair tumbled forward as hands leaned forward, pitching the man's body at an odd angle as he continued to smile down at the defenseless 17-year-old. "What's the last thing you remember before being trapped in my little room of splendid _fun_?"

"I… I remember the accident. I remember that. But-"

"Yes, and that was just about the time that I just _happened _to come upon you lying _oh so peacefully _on the cruel, cruel pavement and flew you away on a cloud of made of rainbows and unicorns." Toes twiddled against each other as B's voice rose with anticipation. "But we're forgetting something, _Light_! And just who was _with _you the horrible day of the accident? Do tell!"

Raito felt his mouth slacken as he stared up at the man above him, his sharp crimson eyes glittering with a terrible sort of truth that the smaller brunette wanted to rip away from him and toss off the nearest building. The lurking evil that curled around the older man's aura seemed to shine at its greatest as Raito received the full meaning of the underlying message _loud and clear_.

"I have something you _want_, my dear." B repeated as he laid the key down on the mattress within the small bit of space between them. "But in order to _get it_, you have to _give me _something in return. _Do you understand_?"

"You're lying. I haven't… You couldn't have…" Raito whispered, gathering up what little strength he could possess and backing away from the putrid grin and scarlet eyes looking so sure of themselves.

"I'm a lot of things, Raito…" The brunette clenched his eyes shut as his name slithered out of the maniac's lips, a hand coming up and harshly jarring the boy's shoulder as it held the singer in place. "But a _liar_? I am anything, but that. Don't confuse me with the person that put us in this predicament to begin with… it demeans this _relationship_ we share."

"We don't share anything, much less a damn relationship, or _connection _or God knows whatever other sick ideas are crawling in your head! We share _nothing_ with each other, and _you _are _nothing_ to _me_."

Raito gasped out a groan of pain as the lacerations on his back were pounded against, a warm body lying above him as it suffocated his senses terribly (_so many memories…_).

"You think so? Huh? I remember too… I remember what it was like to lie on the ground cold and naked, wondering _why _it had to be me, _why _I had chosen that day to do what I had to do, _why _no one had come to save me, when I had done _nothing_ wrong. The same hands that caressed your body even as you pleaded for them not to caressed mine in the exact same way. The same lips that touched yours without even the permission to do so touched mine as well. The same _thing_ that violated your body and made you feel _worthless and used_, they did the same to me! So don't you dare say we're not more than just a pair of people lying in a dead room with nothing but space in between them. That is nothing but a _lie_."

Lightly tracing a strand of hair grungy from who knows how long without a shower,

"When I ripped his body apart with my own bare hands, I knew that we could be saved. That you and I, we could rule the world if we wanted to. Be something _more_."

"I don't want this." Raito whispered, eyes reflecting his hidden fear in a show of humanity that even Raito himself did not know he still possessed. "_I don't_."

"I'm sure he'll say the same when I have him tied up on the floor and-"

"Stop it!"

"Tell me, dearie…" B gently whispered against the shell of Raito's ear in a smooth transition from half-crazed to perfectly well-adjusted. "Do you really want yet another death to hang over your head along with _what's-his-name_?"

Cinnamon **-**brown eyes once again became flooded with a watery film as arms stretched out beside either side of Raito's head, hands barely centimeters away from his chin and neck. Those piercing eyes seemed to taunt him, knowing that Raito really _had _no choice in this matter; not when it came to someone who may or may not even be in danger to begin with.

_Especially _when it was someone who actually _meant_ something to the musician.

Raito scarcely held anymore worriment for his own survival. Hell, he'd practically smothered and killed it once Teru had been so brutally taken away from him, leading him down a whirlwind of torment he still rode on to this day.

B had known from the beginning that holding Raito's life above his head would be meaningless to the singer. He barely gave a damn if he were killed or not, and these seconds, minutes, hours, _days_ spent watching him probably only re-affirmed that fact.

No, in order to _get_ what he wanted, he had to _give_ something in return.

"You planned this _all_ from the start. You created a trail and purposely blew up the animosity of the current murders in order to lead L here… to meet me. You…" Raito felt the breath leave his lungs as the ghastly familiar face leaned forward once more. "You've been playing with the both of us from the very beginning."

B smirked as he tilted his head to the side. "Guil-ty as char-ged."

(_When all you have is just a spark of hope left, is it worth really fighting for something that'll simply kill it in the end?_)

"So what's your answer cupcake?" A pale decrepit finger (_which only promised death, even if in a completely different way than what Raito had originally imagined_) trailed down the boy's face as his furrowed brow finally relaxed, and his mouth thinned out in defeat. Raito's weakened thin body pooled against the bed as his sore muscles retracted, giving the appearance of a wilting flower on its last days of summer before the coming of autumn.

There was no point to continue fighting on.

Sacrifices were so natural to Raito at this point, and if this was something he had to endure to help protect L…

"Very, very good…" The finger against his cheek slowly drifted downward , as it skimmed by his neck and hesitatingly passed by his bare chest, the bruises standing out all the more against his lean form. "I knew you'd see it my way. You _are_ different, after all. Nothing like those spineless bottom feeders I've had to dispose off to make it this far… Isn't that right, _Raito_?"

If this was what Raito would have to endure, then it would only be included on the list of many surrenders he had given up for those he had come to love, if only to lose.

Silence, it seemed, would forever be his only companion, partnered along with despair.

* * *

"They differ a bit in each region Raito visited, but it's there!" Soichirou announced with a smirk.

"That may be true, but each is also unsolved with no lists of potential suspects, Yagami-san." Watari concluded, eyes straining behind his own spectacles as he read the words and lists displayed on the screen, switching back and forth from the older man's self-made timeline to the websites displayed alongside them.

"But we have something concrete to start with, and that's got to be something. Besides, no one's ever bothered to connect these strings of murders together before. In doing so, we maybe able to find something that everyone else probably have managed to miss." The detective countered, looking pleased by the new onslaught of information as he continued to type away on his laptop. "Along with all the evidence gathered from the previous murders, we may be able to get something we weren't able to see before. Right?"

"Right." Watari agreed readily as he turned back to his own laptop and continued to type into the computer with vigor. "Though I do wonder just how we'll be able to narrow down suspects without even a _name_ to track…"

"Well, I suppose that's what you called me for, isn't it?" A smooth tenor interrupted both men as Soichirou froze within his seat and Watari sighed in irritation. "Sorry, I sort of just let myself in. Really dangerous to leave the door unlocked like that, ya know."

Strolling in, a pale-skinned blonde of medium build walked into the living room as Watari practically tossed aside the notes lying on his lap filled with scribbles made by both Raito and L alike. Bright blue eyes alight with curiosity settled in the couch across from the elder Yagami as he quirked an eyebrow up and gave a torpid half-smile.

"Hi. I'm the guy who's going to be getting your son back since the world's best detective obviously wasn't good enough, and I'm just about considered the next best thing. How are you?"

Watari very nearly smacked himself in the face as Soichirou felt his eyebrow tick in agitation.

"And you're name is…?"

Sticking a cigarette in his mouth, the blonde smirked before shrugging in response. "I guess you can just call me 'A', since we're all going by letters here. Nice to meet ya, Mr. 'I think I'll angst over my son after nearly a year of ignoring him'. Yeah… pretty sick there, guy. But it's ok. I'm used to all the _angst _and _teen-drama_, so I think we'll just cut it straight and play it pretty cool."

Soichirou gave Watari a doubtful glance as the older man nearly threw himself back onto the couch.

"A…" Watari passed the blonde a file as the youngest of the motley crew of investigators shrugged off his long black trench coat, revealing a simple blue designer tee-shirt and expensive-looking jeans which seemed to be unnecessarily frayed at the edges. "You said that you would help on this case, not taunt our victim's parent. Now, please…"

"I don't know why you're giving me this folder. I already know everything off the top of my head about this damn case. Hell, I could've clued you guys in way earlier just who the flipping perp. was without even breaking a sweat. But noooo, L wanted to go and do things _his way_… well, his way didn't turn out all that great, now did it?" A muttered, pale blue eyes narrowing as he threw the folder back against the table. "What new info have you got for me to sink my teeth into, honeys?"

Soichirou and Watari gave the other a glance and shared the same thought at the same exact time as A's grin grew all the more confident.

'This… is going to suck, isn't it?'

Waving the young man over, Soichirou had to wonder whether _this _was really the man he wanted saving his son's life. Though whether he had a choice in the matter…

"Whoa! You must have a lot of time in your hands for such a wicked long timeline, guy! Talk about all-nighter's…"

Was not even worth discussing in the least.

* * *

It was painful to watch.

The urge to throw up increased as L felt his eyes grow dry, wanting to close his eyes, turn away, do _something, but not having the will to be able to._

(_He's suffering so greatly… what gives you the right to be saved any bit of pain from his own experience_)

Hands touching broken skin, fingernails clawing at rough fabric, lips meeting junctions meant to stimulate pleasure and euphoria-

All L could see on Raito's face was revulsion and defeat.

It took every bit of strength within L not to cry out as he watched his former protégé taunt his ward with mocking words, only to give lover's caresses in return. To watch those sick red eyes implore something more out of the man trapped beneath him as he unshackled the teen's ankle and lightly rubbed against the bruised skin in a tender motion which only spurred more twitching and bare facial expressions of disgust.

(_A part of you wants to scream in anger for having to see your poor charge suffer such humiliation, but how much more humiliated would he be if he knew __**you were watching**__?_)

B gently slinked up Raito's legs as L cringed internally, his trembling arms rattling against the back of his chair as the rage dug deeper and deeper within his chest, threatening to burst out in ways even L did not think possible-

(_How much does he have to suffer before someone just takes mercy on his soul?_)

Gently tugging off the boy's cargo pants and throwing them aside, B took in a shuddering breath as he stared at the long expanse of gold skin and unending series of cuts and bruises still not healing after so long of infliction. Hands explored _every part they could reach_ as felt himself rushing towards a breaking point he could not remember even _having_.

"Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, JUST DON'T FUCKING DO IT!" The words quickly left the detective's mouth as if they were not his own, leaving the man spent and exposed as he forced himself to continue to watch his friend's (_friend, he was your __**friend**_) torment.

Pale lips smothered Raito's own as the musician shut his eyes tightly and tried to pull back as much as possible, hands coming up between both himself and the impersonator prying his mouth open to taste him.

"_I've wanted you for so long now…_" B whispered as a distorted iris slowly turned towards the hidden camera perched within the corner of the wall across from the both of them. "_Tell me you've wanted me too?_"

Raito remained silent.

"_Raito…_"

Still, Raito said nothing.

"_Answer me, damn it!_"

A smack was heard as flesh met flesh, a dark bruise already forming on Raito's left cheek as his head lolled to the side, chocolate-brown eyes blank as could be.

Raito's own message was loud and clear.

'_You can take my body, and you can take my life, but you won't take my __**pride**__.'_

"_If that's how it's going to be…_" B forced the body down with a harsh grip as uneven fingernails dug into once-smooth skin, making the boy bleed as he winced. "_Then I'll take what I can get._"

Forcing the boy's legs apart, the older man purposely dug the singer's body deeper against the mattress as the rough uneven fabric scratched against the still-open lacerations decorating his back. Opening his mouth to cry out in pain, B delved in, roughly ransacking the teen's mouth as he began to push against him with fervor ingrained with each individual about to be violated.

"_Get off me!"_ Raito finally cried out as he let out a breath, his eyes gleaming with some sort of emotion L had only seen once before, when Raito himself had told him about his own past, and the memory that was most likely making even _twice_ as difficult than before. _"I told you, I DON'T WANT THIS, SO GET THE HELL OFF!"_

"_Oh… now he acts feisty. I kind of like it, to tell you the truth._" B purred as he straddled the boy, holding him down with one of his hands whilst trying to pull off his jeans with the other. "_But just for kicks, why don't you go ahead and tell me, after fighting me off, how far do you think you'll go? You don't know where you are, you don't know where your precious buddy is, and you sure as hell don't have the strength to escape. Tell me, lover, just what is your __**master plan**__?_"

Raito said nothing as his struggles slowly decreased, his eyes blurring over with some sort of sheen. "_Why are you doing this to me?"_

"_Aw… shh…_" B lifted himself up slightly as he slipped the pants off his legs and straddled boxer-clad teen in all his bare glory. "_I'm not doing this to hurt you, lover. No… once you realize just who you belong to, then we can get away from this place and all the people who __**really **__want to hurt you and use you and then just throw you away…_"

B gained a faraway dreamy look in his eyes as his own haunted past caught up to him in a moment's time, Raito's eyes narrowing in anticipation as B fully relaxed his body against the teenage pop-star, not noticing as Raito's left leg began to lift forward, his knee bending upward as his foot gained footing against the cold lumpy mattress before-

"_FUCK_!"

Rolling over to the side, B held onto his crotch for a moment as Raito felt the strains of adrenaline pump through his veins, his fight or flight senses going haywire as he barely got himself up off the bed in a mass of weary bones and aching muscles.

"_Oh, no you don't…_"

Raito gasped as he felt his body spasm from lack of use, painful pricks of needles crawling underneath his skin as he grasped the handle of the door, only to find that it wouldn't budge in the least as a small padlock hung from just above the handle.

Sporadic gasps of laughter ransacked the more unstable of the two as he limped up, watching in amusement as Raito kicked and banged on the door, his blood red eyes alighting with something much more devious.

"_As if I would trust our favorite deviant free access to the outside. You must be out of it if you really thought you could escape, darling._" B giggled as he stalked the singer, L feeling a part of himself quiver internally as both murderer and musician alike stood just in the corner of the camera's peripheral vision, their faces slightly blurry and distorted. "_So we have two ways we can do this, and I think you know what I mean. I'll even let you choose for once. What will it be?_"

"_I…"_

"_If not for yourself, won't you think of your lovely companion who may or may __**not**__ get the same __**privileges **__you're receiving my dear?_"

Raito felt himself sag to the floor as the cold hard wood beneath him seemed to bring him back to the situation at him.

"_You'll still hurt him, even if I do this."_

"_Maybe._"

"_You're not guaranteeing me anything."_

"_Correct._"

"_I don't even know if you really have him."_

"_Do you really want to take the chance?_"

"_You're going to take what you want, no matter what I say."_

"… … _Absolutely._"

A shaky sigh unheard by the camera stilled the air around the criminal staring down at the man he held as his captive, his patience holding on a very thin thread.

"_Then do what you like."_

B smiled as knelt beside the boy and tousled his bangs, blank hazel eyes drained of all fight.

"_I have nothing else to give, anyway."_

L wouldn't be able to tell later on just _what _exactly it was that broke him that night. After that terrifying moment where time seemed to stand still, Raito finally sagged against the floor in full surrender, eyes seeming all the more brighter than before as devil in human disguise led the way to the bed and laid his charge down on the bed and finished just what he started.

Whether it be the unreciprocated kisses or the sharp cries of pain emitted from the brunette's mouth, or the silent stream of tears that seemed to sprout down the boy's face like a continual fountain, never-ending in its sad pursuit.

It had all become a blur to him.

A never-ending memory soon to be regretted.

Another failure to protect those who had done nothing but _live_.

It wasn't just another victim, though, L lamented as his own lips became wet and tinged with the bittersweet taste of salt and heartbreak. It had been someone with whom L had truly connected with for the first time in _years_. Someone who had understood his plight and had lived a tragedy to only come out to the other side and give a person like him hope that maybe there was still a life to be lived, even if a slightly broken one.

"_Please…" _Raito whispered before his body shuddered in revulsion on the screen, eyes still distant as B groaned above him._ "Be alright…" _

Maybe it had been those words that had caused the detective to just _let go_.

Maybe…

All L knew was that one moment, he had been sitting in his chair…

And the next, he was on the ground, chair broken beneath him in pieces of wood and clumps of plastic as the cords of rope lay limply against his palms. Dark eyes closed for a moment, as the back of the detective's head pounded with pain and his body screamed with agony, yet opened a moment later without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Numbed fists curled in anticipation as L pushed himself up slowly, cracking his back in relief as his legs twitched against the wreckage lying around it, the cold floor no longer seeming as barren as before.

Glancing off to the side, L slowly made his way towards the two objects that had fascinated him so much, words and images swirling around in his head as bloodied hands steadied themselves and wobbly knees pitched forward against the smooth boards underneath them in a succession of movement. Hands grasping on to the first notebook within reach, L felt his eye tick in annoyance.

'Death Note?'

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk… now this is interesting indeed._"

L nearly jumped back in shock as the disembodied voice floating above him just about caused him to keel over in shock, hands clenching onto the cover of the notebook in what could have been fear.

_Nearly_.

(_Now is the time you choose your path… become the monster you __**have**__ to be-_)

For all of his planning… B really had no idea what he had just unleashed.

(_Or simply become the one that was lurking beneath your skin all along_)

* * *

Raito felt every part of him scream in agony as silent tears ran down his face, illuminating the pale skin stretched against the bones of his face as he felt the last bit of his former self finally die away, leaving only a shell of a slowly decaying body and a half-functioning mind that was beginning to look at death as some sort of heaven-sent wish once again.

There was nothing to ponder about as he lay on the lumpy mattress, the weight of another pulling him into their embrace.

There was no internal monologue, or string of words to carry him to another place altogether as deathly cold hands trailed up his bare stomach, ribs slowly poking out more with each day passing without any food or water.

There were no trembles of fear quaking from the depths of his soul, or sporadic fits of screams surging with rage and hysteria.

There were no voices echoing within the far reaches of his mind as B's naked body tightly enclosed his own, or delusional images of another caressing his hair in the exact same way B was doing now.

There was nothing.

"I've finally got you, _dearest_." B whispered against Raito's ear, reveling in the other's decreasing warmth and yellowing skin. "And that's all I've wanted _all along_."

_Nothing at all._

Except...

"And I'll _never _let you go…"

_**Silence.**_


	17. Through the Lies of a Nobody

A.N: Oh my God... can it _be_? I'm... updating LIA? Where are the choirs of angels? The marches of drums? The pretty pink balloons with sparkly confetti?! I want some balloons and confetti, damn it! -.-; Eh... I'll take what I can get, then. Most of my efforts have been aimed towards the rest of this story and editing its previous chapters, so hopefully all of you enjoy the newest addition to our crazy mess of angst, drama and... Shinigami? Lol.

The warning from previous chapters still applies, but you won't see anything too scandalous in this chapter. Though on a side note, I would like to say that all the stuff you guys might have thought wasn't important from previous chapters... well, re-prioritize what you think might be important and what might _not_. That's all I can say without giving too much away. ^.^

Thank you Kitsune-55 for beta-ing even while being crazy busy with your schedule! I always appreciate the awesome effort you put in to beta-ing my stories! (And the ending will be _quite_ satisfactory!That I promise! XD)

Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Seventeen: _Through the Lies of a Nobody_

* * *

"Wh-what… What _are _you?" L whispered as his eyes bugged out even more than usual, giving him the appearance of a gaping fish out of water. The beast in front of him convulsed before letting out a grating sound of what seemed to be laughter erupt from his stretched smiling mouth.

"_Well… if you wanna be technical,_" Ryuuk wheezed out before scratching his head and popping his neck. "_I'm what you call a 'Shinigami'… but __**you**__ can just call me Ryuuk, Mr. Lawliet._"

The fingers gripping the notebook within his hands tightened as L felt his heart begin to palpitate within his chest, dark specks invading his field of vision as shock attempted to override his system.

"That's not… How do…" L nearly passed out as he allowed himself a moment to breathe, the pain from before now burning in the backburner of his mind as he attempted to process everything he was learning at once. "_What_?!"

"_What? It's not possible? How do I know your name? What do I want? Pick one, pick one, pick one!_" Ryuuk finished for the human, laughing once again as he nearly did a back-flip in joy. "_Hm… I guess I'll pick one, then, if you're just gonna stare at me like a crazy person… no pun intended. Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…_"

Taking L's silence as continued disbelief, Ryuuk leaned forward, inwardly giggling as the shocked mortal stood ramrod still, back completely straight and eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"_If I'm not a Shinigami, then what would you call me? A figment of your ima-gin-a-tion?_ _You must have a pretty great imagination, then, __**L**__. Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk… That's just too __**funny**__. You most certainly are much more interesting than Be-yond spoke about…_"

"Beyond…" Dark eyes became even bleaker as L's hands clenched against the mound of paper and binding within them, making Ryuuk giggle in amusement.

"_Whenever he wasn't talkin' 'bout pretty boy downstairs, he was always talkin' about you, ya know._" Floating over L's head, the Shinigami laughed as L shrunk within himself, the shock plainly written on his normally stoic visage. "_You human's sure are strange. If it isn't one emotion, it's another. Always gotta be a step ahead, yet never actually moving forward in the least. Take it from me, I've lived long enough to see the same old thing over, and over, and over, and __**over**__-"_

"I think I get it." The emaciated detective whispered, throat dry and itchy as it ached for something to soothe it. "I understand why he's gone after Raito, and I understand why he thinks doing this to me means something. But… but does he understand what he's done? Any chance, _any chance_ he might have had with the child is lost now. Knowing what he does, and I have _no _doubt that he knows, why would he put Raito through that?"

"_Don't know._" Ryuuk shrugged as he sprung against the wall, landing awkwardly on himself against the floor, giggling as the detective gave him a rather cold glare. "_Hey, I don't pretend to understand what he does anymore than you do. I'm just here for the riiiiiiiide… and, well… one other thing, really._"

"And what's that?"

"_I'm. Not. Telling…_" Doing a random handstand, the large hunkering beast delighted himself "_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuuuk… not unless it's for a __**price**__. A… __**payment**__, if you will._"

"How do I know it's worth the knowledge?"

"_You don't seem like the type of guy to not want to know something… And boy, do I see a healthy interest in those creepy eyes… Hah!_"

"Usually, you would be correct. But I am under a rather tight schedule at the moment." L sarcastically replied, gripping the notebooks within his hands as a sense of urgency swept through him. "I can tell that _you _do not care about Raito, but I on the other hand, do."

"_He's not going to kill him, ya know._" Flipping himself forward, Ryuuk nearly guffawed once again as L backed away from the much-too-close Shinigami and his strange antics."_He's too… __**hung up **__on the kid to do anything __**really **__damaging. It's rather dis-__**gusting**__ really. And boring. Did I mention boring?_"

"What do you mean…?"

"_Pay-ment… pay-ment… pay-_"

"If you're going to play this game with me,then you're worthless to me and therefore not worth my time." L rasped as he glanced down at the notebook within his hands. "What is this thing, anyway?"

As soon as the query left L's mouth, the gruesome smile on Ryuuk's face seem to grow all the wider and much more disturbing, the sound of ligaments and decrepit bones snapping together as the beast straightened itself out once again.

"_Now __**that**__… is a good question_." Holding out a decayed hand, Ryuuk cackled as L backed away in sudden fright. "_You want to __**save**__ your lover-boy, don't you?_"

"But you said-"

"_I said he wouldn't __**kill **__him. I think you've already seen that for some people, there are __**worse **__things to be wrought than __**death**__ itself. And this Raito guy looks as if he's already been through Hell. Do you really think this is the end of the ride for pretty-brown-eyes on the screen?_"

"Please…" The word escaped L's lips before he could stop it, the pleading expression slipping over his face trumping over his usually blank façade.

"_Agree, and we'll talk. Disagree, and we won't. I don't care about the kid. I'm just in this for __**me**__._" Ryuuk plainly stated, keeping his stare directly on the notebook within L's hands.

Fidgeting with the edges of the pages, the exhausted detective sighed as time seemed to slip by, the digital clock sitting on top of the desk quietly changing numbers the longer he sat staring at the depressing image on the television screen.

Ryuuk laughed as L shivered, the dark guffaws covering him in a shroud of insecurity and frustration. The dark smile forever etched against the Shinigami's thin, decrepit lips stretched even further across the semi-immortal being's face as his words wrapped around the detective, entrapping him within his own wants.

"_Now about that payment, Mr-L-Law-liet…_"

* * *

"You're trembling." Beyond whispered as he knotted his fingers through the smaller man's dirty brown hair, not noticing as the 17-year-old's red-rimmed eyes shifted uncontrollably.

The battered brunette internally sighed as the quiet surrounding his being was shattered by the only other person within the snow-white room, prickling his skin like a thousand jagged pieces of glasses. Still staring at the wall, the pop star slowly blinked as a hand (_one that __**shouldn't **__have been touching __**anything**__ of his to begin with_) grasped his bicep, rubbing the bare muscle in what seemed to be… one of… comfort?

Raito just didn't know anymore.

'Cold… cold… I'm so…' Shivering without his consent, his body melted against the only source of warmth lying behind him, cringing with distaste as an arm slung across itself across his torso. '_Cold_.'

"Are you alright?"

Deceiving, that smooth velvet voice was.

Gentle one moment, volatile the next. That… that _thing_ pretending to be human behind him, covering him, _coveting_ him, was deadlier than the most vile of poisons, and Raito had to wonder if the man _himself_ even knew how dangerous he truly was. There was so much _blood_ staining his hands, and Raito still didn't even really know _why_.

A part of him was rather satisfied in not knowing, regardless.

"It's taken me so long to get to this point, you know. Watching you for so long… it was painful." His ear felt violated, Raito decided, his face still as blank as could be. Moving neither closer nor farther away from the slimy touch infecting his whole being, Raito did what he always did in unpleasant instances and rising panic attacks threatening to overtake him…

He retreated within his mind.

"There's so much I've wanted to tell you, Light… From the first day I saw you, I knew you were special."

Plotting, plotting, plotting…

"So many things I've wanted to do with you by my side…"

Raito did _not_ play the victim card very easily, of course. Teru being taken away from him had been the exception; a sort of game with both his emotions and his point of existence.

Yet he still lived.

That had to mean something…

Didn't it?

"You'll stay, won't you? With… with me? I've gone through so much to get to this point. It's because of you that I'm still here, Light."

Even after those… _monsters_ had taken away his will to live, he had managed to dig himself out of the hole with which they had left him.

"Light?"

He would not go down so easily; not with L still out there, _still alive_.

He had to be…

He had to be _alive_.

So Raito would not die just yet.

Not. Without. A. Fight.

"Light… Rai-Raito…"

His body may have been wilted beyond repair at this point, but he would not break down.

"_Raito_…"

Not _ever_ again.

"_**Raito**_…"

Mouth quivering with thirst, Raito said nothing even as a lithe figure overshadowed his own emaciated form. Burgundy red eyes carefully traced over the once radiant face of the musician whom had captured his attention, the brunette's eyes now sunken in by the large dark bags shadowing them, and the unnatural yellow tint illuminating his tan skin. Sweat gathered at the boy's temples and forehead, glistening instead of pouring over his skin in streams as the light within the room gave the 17-year-old an eerie unhealthy glow, body spiking up in temperature.

"Even now, you're beautiful." Fingers traced the oily skin, memorizing the entire plane of the teenager's visage with a small smile on his face. "I still can't believe you're here, actually. Something inside my head keeps telling me this isn't _real_ or that you'll disappear once I close my eyes…"

'_Stop touching me, stop touching me, stop touching me, stop touching me…_' The mantra continued unbidden, sending chills down Raito's spine as those fingers trailed down his face and onto his collarbone. '_You don't _own _me…_'

"You knew." Raito rasped, quite sure the other man would know what he was talking about from the sudden halt of his fingers. "Why would you do this to me if you knew?"

"It's not the same." Gripping onto Raito's bare flesh, splotches of skin bled a deep dark red as broken nails broke through the thin layer of protection Raito's body had left. "Don't compare what we did to that. _Don't you __**ever**__ compare me to __**that filth**_."

"I'm not like those other men who… that man that… tried to soil you." Beyond whispered, carefully lying his hand down on top of his left pectoral as he pulled him closer to his chest. "… … Do you wanna know a secret?"

"… I…"

"It's alright… it's alright… I'll tell you… because I know you'd get it. Because inside, we're the same, even if physically we're different. Because in the end, we're cut from the same piece of cloth… we're two leaves falling from the same tree!" Startling the trembling teen by laughing obnoxiously at his own stupid joke, the crimson-eyed abductor curled his legs around Raito's thighs and giggled tremulously against the patch of never-ending skin presented to him. "I'm _con-nected_ to you…"

Mocha-brown eyes wavered as they kept their stare on the man set beside him.

"That man that touched you… that nearly _killed _you and took away your so-called _reason to live_…" Beyond buried his head within Raito's shoulder, openly ignoring the outward flinch that Raito pulled as his dark locks of hair splattered over the musician's creamy-gold tinted shoulder. "I knew him very intimately, you know."

Startling him out of his reverie, Raito felt himself stiffen even further within Beyond's arms.

"_What_?"

* * *

"A?"

The blonde hummed as he typed away on his laptop not noticing as Watari nearly smacked himself over the head, quite sure that one day of working with the rebellious young man… was just one day too much.

"A…"

Looking over the set of tour dates set in front of him, A carefully pinpointed each date and location himself, already knowing he had at least _one_ name to go by, if his suspect was as _pre-dictable_ as he thought…

"_A_…"

He just needed some sort of evidence to attach to his readily scattered thoughts.

But knowing _B_, he had already thought of _that_ before anything else.

"_**A**_!"

"What?!" The blonde snapped, turning his head around with an annoyed flick of the finger against his nose. "What is it?!"

"We're talking to you, damn it!"

"I can see that." A mumbled, annoyed that his train of thought had been disrupted _yet again_. "Well? What is it that the both of you find _so_ worth of my time?"

Watching Soichirou try to control the urge to smack him (_which, really, was comedy unto itself_), A felt the need to smile break against his lips, not noticing the disapproving glare Watari was throwing at him from the side.

"One of the officers who were with Raito and L at the time of their car crash has just gotten out of his coma." The oldest man within the room mentions with only just a small _bit _of patience in his voice as he continued to glare at A with full force. "I believe he may have some information on just who may have taken the two boys."

"I already know _who_ has taken them," A snapped back, his back now straight with tension. Ignoring the look of surprise on Soichirou's face, the blonde detective stretched the kinks out of his back. "I just need to know _where _he's keeping them. The evidence can come after, damn it."

"This needs investigating; the man may have seen something useful in terms of location or faces." Soichirou replied with some much needed enthusiasm. "It may help us in the long run!"

"Fine…" The blonde rolled his eyes as he waved his hand in the air, a sign of pure dismissal. "You go, I stay. Better?"

"What?!"

"I'm actually onto something, unlike the both of _you_. Better that you go gather whatever information you can and call me directly after. Hopefully, I would have found a link by then. Now, vamoose! Your faces are making me want to punch the both of you!"

Shaking his head at Soichirou, Watari pulled himself off of the loveseat and signaled for the father to follow his lead. Sniffing in annoyance, Soichirou stomped after the old inventor, grabbing his coat off the rack as he prepped his mind for what was in store.

"We'll call you as soon as we get there for a follow-up, and afterward to see if anything can be used." Watari called out, opening the door with a weary sort of sigh escaping his lips. "Please, do not do anything _rash_, A."

Saying nothing to contradict nor affirm the statement, A simply waved the two men off, enjoying the look of discomfort both sent to him over their shoulders, nearly identical in face.

"Just what have we _done_ to deserve this again?" Soichirou mumbled to Watari as the door swung closed, not noticing the dangerous smile now hanging off of A's lips.

As the two finally left him to his own devices, A finally pulled up the much needed website he had been waiting to get a glance at and smirked as the full-bodied encoding in front of his light blue eyes beckoned his fingertips to tap against the keys in a rapid pace.

"_Finally_…"

Hacking confidential police files was usually a one man sport, anyway.

* * *

"You knew… him…" Raito stared down at the prone person beside him with new eyes, neither fear nor anger penetrating his sight. "He… Oh my God…"

Only…

Sympathy?

No.

They might've been _victims_ in a certain light, but they were completely _different_ in any other way.

"Don't look at me with those eyes. You'll make me cry." Beyond croaked as he smiled up at the stunned musician glimmering with pity. "It was… the night I first saw you that I met him, really. I'll always consider it be both a blessing and a curse, that night you entered my life. Do you really need me to specify?"

"He hurt you too?" Raito whispered, feeling his skin crawl at the thought that this _monster _had actually had the _nerve_ to violate _him_ after…

After…

_God_…

"… He did more than hurt me." Bringing Raito closer to himself, Beyond closed his eyes and drifted off into his own land of memories. "He tried to _own _me. But I took care of him, _just_ _for_ _you_. Don't you remember? The police reports… you were their main suspect at first! It was almost laughable, really. You weren't in any condition to even _live_, much less _kill_ somebody…"

"It doesn't matter… you didn't do that for me." Came the low rasp, the boy's face screwing up into undeniable anger. "You did it for _yourself_. I was just your _**excuse**_."

"You're telling me that he _didn't _deserve everything that was coming to him?" The dangerous red glow emanating from Beyond's eyes should have alerted Raito to keep his damn mouth shut… "_Hm_?"

But the musician didn't really _care _at this point.

"Death doesn't do anything for me anymore. I didn't want revenge, and I still don't after everything I've had to pull myself through. I…" Raito felt a part of him cringed as he acknowledged the truth he had kept tucked away for the last year and a half, a part of him hating himself for needing to admit his _need_ to this façade of a human being. "I needed something more than just petty vengeance. I just _needed_ to… be at _peace_ with myself. To forget. To turn back time…"

"You cared for him that much, huh?" Light beats of the words struck a chord within the teenager, ignoring the murderer hanging off his every sentence like a parasite to blood.

"I'd never loved someone before. Sacrifice… isn't that what you do for you people you love?" The question was empty to Raito's own ears, echoing suffering he had yet to overcome. "I still don't understand why I'm alive and he's not. He didn't deserve it. He was only hurt because he loved _me_."

"I don't know." Beyond murmured as he laid his head down on the pillow, broken mattress springing up uncomfortably against his side. "Sounds stupid, if you ask me. You might as well take what you can while you can still take it, huh?"

"Like you took me?" Haunted brown eyes stared down at the man still holding onto his hips, the small sinister smirk laden on his twisted lips.

"Traumatized, are you?" Beyond laughed gleely, reveling in the sharp stare the injured young man still had the energy to lash out, even to _him_. "I think… _secretely_, of course… that you _liked it _more than you're letting on… Masochistic little thing that. You. Arrre…"

"You know _nothing_ about me, or what it takes to be even _human_." Raito slithered into the murderer's ear, a stave of panic looming over Beyond's form as the boy did nothing to decrease the distance between them. "Patience… patience to live, to die… to _survive_. That's what you lack. You'll do what you want and make your own excuses just so you can live with yourself and act like you're not the scum you really are."

"Really?" Though the questioned word came out lightly, as though Beyond was not really paying attention to the conversation itself, Raito could feel the underlying anxiety and relished the small bit of power that he knew he now had.

"I've already hit rock-bottom before, and it was _nowhere _as hellish as this." The truth of his words hit both men like a ton of a bricks; Raito in realizing that he was _not_ so much the powerless hostage as he once believed and Beyond in attempting to blank out the true meaning in _what _his bait was saying. "You might have been violated, but that's nothing compared to what I've lived before. Physical pain? Mental torture? Emotional disfigurement? Don't you know that when you reach that deepest, most desperate part of you, that no other pain in the entire world could _ever_ amount to what you've already felt? I might lie to the world… but unlike you, at least I'm honest with _myself_."

Taking in the wide-set pair of crimson red eyes filled with longing and rage, Raito nearly laughed as he felt a crushing blow split across his brow, the inky abyss of unconsciousness once again cradling him within its arms and lulling him into a false slumber filled with nothing but darkness.

* * *

"Hello, ma'am." Watari smiled over at the woman dressed entirely in scrubs behind the large receptionist desk, her blue eyes gleaming with twitchy curiosity as Soichirou shifted uncomfortably under the young woman's gaze. "We were informed that a Mr. Walter Clemens has finally regained consciousness, and we actually need to speak with him."

"Well, I believe he was just brought out of intensive care, so if you want to give me a second…?" Waving over at the receptionist as she grabbed a file and walked around the large winding desk and smiled over at the both of them, Watari grabbed the scowling detective and sat him down on top of one of the plastic chairs available for visitors.

"This is-"

"Going to possibly give us a place to start." Watari cut Soichirou off, dark blue eyes narrowing at the pessimism flowing out of his counterpart in waves. "If you give up on him, you might as well be sentencing him to the grave before you even know for sure."

"After the first 24 hours, his chances of being alive were slim to none. We _knew _that…" Soichirou took in a shaky breath as he held back tears of frustration, eyes a watery mocha. "But… But how do you expect me to hold up much hope after all of this? I'm _tired_ Watari."

"Then take a nap." Watari smirked as Soichirou glared at him from the corner of his eye. "We're all tired… but I refuse to give up on either of them. And neither should you."

"How long do you expect us to keep running on absolutely nothing?" Soichirou murmured tiredly, head now held between his two hands. "We're both at our limit _and _we have nothing to go by."

"We have Clemens. We have A working on the case. That's something, if nothing. If you give up now, you know you'll never forgive yourself, especially knowing that you condemned your son to death without even knowing for sure if he's really… _gone _or not." Watari sighed as he kept his sight forward, refusing to let Soichirou's mood affect his own. "He disowns you now. Do you really want to add another betrayal to the never-ending list you already have stacked against you at this point?"

Gazing up at the older man staring down at him, the Japanese detective did not get a chance to respond as the same nurse as before waved over at them as she powered walked down the hallway.

"Mr. Watari? Mr. Clemens is ready to see you!"

Grabbing his companion up by the arm, Watari nodded over at the nurse as she led them along the same hallway she had just walked down from. Bracing himself both for the best and the worst, both men gave two similar if separate prayers to whoever was listening-

Though if there was a God, maybe their prayers weren't as necessary as they would hope to think.

* * *

"That's it? I feel as if you are toying with me, Shinigami-san."

"_Yup… I'm a pretty easygoing kind of guy, Mr. Lawliet. And didn't I say to just call me Ryuuk?_" The grotesque smile on Ryuuk's face was neither comforting nor trustworthy, making L fidget with the two notebooks in his hands. "_Don't let the whole 'murder' thing throw you off. You humans… always taking everything so __**seriously, **__like it's the end of the world, or somethin'._"

"Yes." L dryly admitted, not looking the least bit amused. "I suppose we are rather uptight, aren't we. Your conditions… I agree to them, then. Now tell me, why is this notebook so important to Beyond?"

"_Open it, and I'll explain from there._"

"But-"

"_Open it, __**L**__._"

"Hmm…" Looking down at the strange notebook, L began to read words inscribed out loud. "Death Note… How to Use…"

"_What you have in your hand… is called a Death Note, obviously._" Ryuuk chuckled as he leaned in closer, ignoring L's aversion of his decaying image as he stretched his long neck to glance down at the words written upon the page. "_To repeat the same old story in less words than you see written there, whoever's name you write in this notebook… shall die._"

"… … You must be joking."

"_I'm a Shinigami from another realm who feeds off other people's deaths, and you think I'm kidding about a death-dealing notebook that helps me do so?_" Ryuuk stumbled over his own feet, twisting his body around in a morbid way that made L feel both nauseous and jealous at the same time. "_HYUUK, HYUUK, HYUUK! YOU'RE SO… HILARIOUS! Beyond was NEVER this much fun!_"

L felt himself panic for a moment as Ryuuk's words finally filtered into his brain, the sense of nervousness that had sprouted before hand erupting into something _much _more tangible than just a tingle of hysteria. "Wait, did you just say that you feed off of-"

"_Read the rules! Then, maybe you won't have so many_ _ques-tiooooons…_" Ryuuk rearranged himself on a whim and floated above the computer and TV stationed across the room, glancing down at the blank screen with feigned interest. "_It doesn't matter to __**me**__, but I know this kid doesn't have aaalllll daaaaayyyyy…_"

Taking a look at the rules at hand, L sighed as half of his concentration stayed centered on the activity before him and the other strayed away from both the notebook and traveled down the road to perdition that led him to this very moment and away from the one person whom he had become so close to in a matter of weeks…

Clicks of understanding rekindle bursts of dead-ends within L's mind as each question, was slowly answered, both by the rules of the notebook along with the events that had led up to the point he was now.

Feeling a part of himself float away from the situation at hand, L relinquished control to that small part of him that had been aching to come out since the beginning-

"This is all my fault." L whispered, the guilt finally catching up with the logic. Memories which were at one time blurred and indecipherable on his own accord were clear, the words on the page before him read and re-read with deadly accuracy and torturous understanding. "I fed into his madness, and he used both my own liabilities to set up every crime scene thus far, using this… _this_. I… I did this. I'm responsible."

"_What __**are **__you talking about?_" Ryuuk carelessly flipped off the monitor he had been carefully tip-toeing against and, finally interested in the murmurs of the potentially sick human (_both physically __**and **__mentally_) now gently holding the Death Note, leaned in to hear what he was exactly saying. "_Huh? I wanna know! Tell me, tell me!_"

Curling the Death Note under one arm, L then picked up the journal he had used to write into so vehemently when he was younger, all of his demons and inner-turmoil from years prior mocking him from beginning to end.

"I thought him reading this would help him overcome what had happened. Teach him that even the 'greatest' of people were infallible and just as prone to tragedies as the next person." L admitted to Ryuuk, not noticing the sudden click of understanding snap into place within the monster's own head as his crimson-colored eyes danced with newfound mirth. "I had my own share of traumatic experiences as a child, and I thought that opening up that avenue to him would build him up from where he had fallen. Instead… it created a monster."

"_Let me get this straight… this whole time… he modeled his plans… after what you wrote in that stupid notebook? __**Your **__crazy childhood trauma?_" Ryuuk could barely hold back his laughter by the time he finished his sentence, not caring as L glared at him over his shoulder. "_It was __**you**__ who gave him the idea for this thing in the first place? __**You **__who made this as fun as it's been? Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk! I should be thanking you, then! I was bored to __**death**__ before meeting all you humans, and I have __**you**__ to thank for all this __**excitement**__!_"

"No thanks necessary." The dry statement crackled with hidden tension as L pocketed his journal within his back jean pocket, part of it sticking up against his once white shirt. Still gripping the Death Note with curled lips, L wandered away from the uproarious Shinigami and turned his back to the mocking grin following his every move. "The flowers, the seven sins, even the body dismemberments along with the crown of thorns… they didn't have any particular meaning to _him_, but he knew it did to _me_. It was his damnable message to _me_, and I ignored it because… because I could not face it myself. Because I did not want to see Raito just like…"

"_Like?_"

"Like… my mother. The victim of her own tragedy… unable to protect herself from those who wished to watch her suffer." L admitted, the lingering sensation of old tears and nightmares now laid out on the table. "But if that's true…"

"_Yeah, yeah?!_"

Ebony eyes encrusted with blood-shot veins popped open even wider than before.

"Then he hasn't even done his _worse_ yet…"

* * *

_What are you doing, Raito?_

Sleeping…

I think?

I wish…

I don't know…

_You should wake up, Raito._

But I don't _want_ to.

Can't I stay where I am?

It's warm here…

And it's so cold out there.

I want to stay-

_Someone's waiting for you…_

_They're fighting for you…_

_You just have to-_

_Wake up._

Nobodies waiting for me.

Nobody wants me.

Not…

Not anymore.

Let me _**stay**_.

_That's not true. Wake up, Raito._

_Wake up. _

_Wake up, Raito. _

_Someone's waiting for you, Raito._

_And he's growing impatient._

_Just-_

_Wait a little bit longer…_

_And __**wake up**__._

* * *

Arms encased the young teen as he was startled awake by his own paranoia, honey-brown eyes wide with fright.

"You certainly know how to push certain buttons, don't you?" Beyond slithered into the teen's ear as his arm twitched, a sign of his own wakefulness. "I have to give you credit where credit is due… you're a one-of-a-kind asshole when you put your mind to it."

'He's the one who knocked out and kidnapped some 17-year-old kid and is keep the world's greatest detective to play some sick mind-fucking on the both of them _on a whim_, and yet out of the both us, _I'm_ still considered the asshole.' Raito thought to himself in absentminded grim-amusement. 'Glee.'

"You know, at this point, I don't even care as to why you're keeping me chained up in your basement like a lamb about to be slaughtered." Raito's voice seemed to strengthen as it was continually used, the thrumming pain lingering over his consciousness taking a back seat to his natural curiosity and (_dare he say it_) concern. "But… why _L_? How… how did you know he was even going to take your case?"

"Light, it's _you_. You proved to me that not even someone as untouchable as L could resist your charms… and believe me, I didn't doubt you for _one __**second**_." The light words did nothing to stave off the chills rankling the boy from the inside as Beyond moved away from him. "L was _always _a part of the plan. He helped make me, you know! I just… didn't expect you two to hit it off _so well_, Light. But it's alright. It's almost time for the grand finale… and it will be _beautiful._"

"I don't know why you're taking this all so… _horribly_. They were all… insignificant, you know. Nothing the world couldn't _spare_…" Beyond drawled out with a bone-chilling snap of his jaw, sleepily rubbing at his eyes with dirty fingers and smudged knuckles raw with dust and dried blood. "Their times were all almost up, anyway."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"Their… time?"

"Well, that's a bit… complicated. And I don't think you're quite able to handle it right now."

"… Then what is it that you'll think you'll gain from keeping me here?" The tattered musician whispered, feeling pieces of himself break within his consciousness, eyes dimming within the brightly lit room. "I'm not worth anyone's attention, let alone all of this… trouble. This… this connection that you think we have is… not _real_."

"Not _true_. You've gotten my attention… and _L_'s, of course." Beyond then stood up, stretching his arms as the poorly-hidden stiff ligaments of Raito's body immediately loosened into a semi-relaxed state. "You shine with something we can't touch… something all too unreal, yet still so tangible. Am I making any sense, Light?"

"Don't call me that." Raito rasped almost immediately, spurning a newfound hate in his own stage-name (_a name __**Teru**__ had given him, after an American producer had continually refused to call him Raito, and instead the literal English pronunciation of his name_). "Don't call me _anything_."

Giggling manically to himself, Beyond leaned forward on his forearms, halfway leaning into the bed as he stared down at his new playmate.

"If you say so…" The disjointed voice sang, making Raito wonder how he could have _ever _mistaken him for L, _even for a second_. "You're more than just any old regular person, _anyway_. Even if you don't believe it's true. And it's not just your music that _de-fines_ you."

Small pads of delicate fingertips danced up the teenager's blemished leg, golden skin smeared with bruised streaks of bluish-purple and puckered, almost rounded pink scarring trailing around the ankle that was, at one time, chained to the wall by the madman's personal shackle.

"_I love you, Light._"

Brown eyes closed as fists clenched together, pain grounding the boy back from the brink of insanity.

'Voices blurring over… I can't… is it you, Teru?'

"You don't know what love is." Raito murmured out loud, trying (_trying_) to stay where he was; within the damp reality that was the eternity within one solitary room.

"_I want to be with you… always_."

Familiar words that had at one time made him alight with careless happiness burned deeper within Raito's core, making him question just what was real-

'You're not him. You're not him. _You're not him_.'

"You want a mindless puppet I can't I be."

"_Don't you want me too_?"

And what was not.

"YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER!" Raito heard himself snap, his mind now fully divided. "You _kidnapped_ and _raped_ me, and you keep threatening to kill the only person who has come to _mean _anything to me-_how is that __**LOVE**_?! You want me to hate you, so that you feel vindicated in everything that you're doing! You are a disillusioned, sick _fuck _who gets his jollies off doing the same to everyone else that they did to you! They should have killed you when they fucking had the chan-!"

"SHUT _UP_!"

Dirty, long-fingered hands pushed themselves forward so quickly, that Raito could not even blink without seeing their faint image rushing towards his neck and _squeeze_. Instead of fighting for his life, Raito laid there, eyes wide open as they peered up into their demise.

'Kill me. Kill me. Kill me so I won't have to feel anymore. Kill me so that I don't have to live with this on my chest. Kill me so that you can't keep hurting more and more people just like you have me-'

"This is what you wanted, isn't it, my little masochistic song-bird." Picking the doll-like boy by the neck and slamming him off of the bed, Beyond growled out a series of curses as vacant brown eyes stared into his own, the now-bruised temple coloring his vision an even darker red.

"Do you actually _think _that this all about _me_? Even _I'm _not that special." The morbid tranquility within the older man's voice chilled Raito to the bone as smooth hands brushed back the hair scattered over his bruised face, bleeding lips quivering in newfound fear. "If you actually think that death is all I have in store for _him_, then you think I'm _too kind_ dearest."

Broken body sprawled halfway on the dirty mattress and halfway on the cement floor, Raito coughed as the man threw on his clothes and plucked out a set of keys from his stained jeans pocket (_so close, and yet, still so far_) and set himself on unlocking all of the locks…

Only to slam the door shut once again.

Waiting for a few seconds in his new blessed silence (_just to make sure that he wasn't coming back; that the torture had __**finally**__ ended for the moment_), Raito slowly leaned his weight on his forearms and gently pulled himself up. Pieces of his clothing laid scattered around his room, making him wince at the thought of having to get up and _reach them_.

'_Show him that you're not made of glass… show him that you're not made to be broken… You've survived through so much..._'

Muscles contracted and loosened as feet slowly dropped from the mattress and felt the cold, bumpy texture of the cement ground surrounding them. In a show of clumsiness, Raito felt his hand buckle underneath him as his feet slipped over themselves, falling back on his scarred back.

'_I still believe in you, Raito. Don't you_?'

Tears of never-ending frustration crawled down his cheek as the light-haired musician nearly cried out in pain.

'_Tell me… is this how you wish to end it all, Raito?_'

Shaking his head in both frustration and determination, Raito slammed his foot back on the ground and grit his teeth in newfound resolve.

Yagami Raito _did not_ play the victim as beautifully as his captor had been led to believe.

And he would show him first hand.

* * *

_Beyond felt his eyes twitch as he stared at the man in front of him with almost complete disregard, the small notebook lying just behind the slouched figure taking more of his attention by the second…_

"_You have been neglecting your duties, B." _

"_So?" Beyond replied, no customary lilt within his tone as his dark blue eyes continued to look past the greatest detective in the world. "Aren't I allowed a little break once in awhile?" _

"_If you felt the need to disregard your cases and classes, then you should have informed your teachers and Roger himself instead of saying nothing at all." L rubbed his temples as he sat back down on his chair, letting the back of his seat hit the desk behind him with little consideration of the furniture itself. "Even speaking to either myself or Watari through email or the phone would have been sufficient."_

_The black leather journal jumped up as the hit was made, the contact between it and Beyond's eyes not lessening in the least. _

"_I can't excuse this kind of behavior, B." _

"_Of course you can't." The boy mumbled, not looking the least bit worried. "Now who's going to do the same for you?" _

"_Please, that's enough." _

"_You think that you've been lenient with me." Beyond grinned, finally looking L directly in the eye. "I don't need your sympathy, or your guilt. Keep your rotting conscience to yourself, thanks." _

_Dark eyes (eyes he used to, at one time, admire in all of their forsaken dignity) glittered with something close to hurt as the comment hit a little too close to home for the older of the two, L's mouth opening, yet no sounding coming out. _

"_I don't need this place. I'm just waiting." Navy blue met ebony black in a clash of wills, the hostility within the small room rising by the second. "I don't need __**you**__ either. I'm not like these other kids that need to prove their worth to you! I'll be better than you in every way, and __**you'll**__ be the one who's just a distant memory, __**L**__. You're just in my way, just like all of the other idiots in this moronic school." _

"_Then leave." L stated before he stood up, the corner of his mouth twitching before he planted his feet back onto the cold, hardwood floor and stomping out of the room, leaving Beyond by himself. _

_Smirking to himself, milky white hands reached forward, not aware of the dark eyes still watching them and their every move…_

* * *

Beyond stamped his foot on the ground as he punched the wall behind him.

This boy…

He certainly had a way of making Beyond face the things he never wanted remember to begin with.

'_Yet that's why I've wanted him for so long, isn't it_?'

Laughing to himself _(though the murderer refused to acknowledge the tinge of panic settled underneath his hysteria_)_,_ Beyond skipped down the hallway, passing the steps leading up to his former mentor's cage, wondering how long it would before the lights encased them all…

* * *

"_So… what then?_"

L didn't even look at Ryuuk as he shoved the small journal behind his back and turned around, Death Note still underneath his arm.

"_Hey, I'm talkin' to you, detective! What the hell does B have planned that's SO scary to ya!_"

Glancing around the room to see if there was anything else he could use as a weapon, L cursed as nothing stood to attention except for the broken wooden appendages of the chair he had broken through just a little while back.

"I have to… I have to get Raito and myself out of these facilities. Please… how do I escape from here?"

"_And why should I tell you, Mr. Keep all the good stuff to yourself?_"

"Because without my survival, there is no way of being repaid the way you wish. Isn't that right, Ryuuk-san?"

Sighing at being caught by the now overly-annoying private investigator (_though that was only because he didn't want to spill the beans… AGAIN!_), Ryuuk then weighed the pro's and con's at letting the weird little guy out of his proverbial cage and ending the game for what it was, or letting it linger for a little bit longer…

"I will double our original agreement, if that helps."

"_SCORE!_" Ryuuk giggled as he floated out of the room, pretending to ignore the unsettled gleam of rampaging dread lingering behind the detective's dark-gray eyes and pointed at the unlocked door with glee. "_TALLY FORTH, LITTLE FLESH-MAN! HYUUK, HYUUK, HYUUK!"_

"Wait! What about-"

"_Leave it to __**me**__, L Law-liet!_" Smiling his grotesque smile, Ryuuk laughed manically as L backed away from the insane Shinigami and his halfwit schemes.

"_**I'll**__ take care of crazy ol' Beyond for little ol' youuuuuu any-time… so as long as you keep me entertained, and our deal stays in-__**tact**__. But know that if you're in a tight situation… I __**won't**__ help you. You are on your own after all is said in done. I'll do what I have to do… but that'll be all._" Ryuuk cackled as he floated forward, L following him on unsteady legs and fueled by nothing more than adrenaline and desperation. "_Besides, he's not as difficult to distract as you would have imagined him to be, ya know! Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk!_"

* * *

"Well, isn't _this _interesting." A muttered, scanning down the old police records and not looking the least bit surprised. "Witness testimonies… blah, blah, bla-there we go! Clue! Blue's clues!"

A almost laughed to himself as he glanced down at the name and wondered how dense old men could be… 'Though these were the same records Soichirou had been looking through and not Watari. Gotta give him _some _credit here…'

Looking down at the list of names placed in front of him, A clucked his tongue as an all too familiar name popped up in front of his eyes, neatly buried underneath a mountain of useless information and 'no leads'. The picture beside the all too familiar name was dressed and disguised different than what A was used to, but he'd recognize his friend underneath all that make-up and make-pretend outfit any day of the week.

"Rue Ryuuzaki… c'mon, B, you could have at _least_ used a different damn _alias _for fuck's sake. And noooowww… you have just let yourself be caught." Nibbling at the end of his already chewed up pen, a hand came up and ruffled the fluff of tangled blonde hair that seemed to have turned into a rat's nest in less than a week. "But then again…"

* * *

"_Do you think that my looking like him is a coincidence, A?" _

"… _I don't know, B. Yes, no, maybe so?" _

"_Like… like God's will, or something?" _

"_Damn are you being random today."_

"_Just answer the question!"_

"_Well, I didn't even know you still believed in God, B. Let me revel in the shock of it all." _

"_I believe in myself. I believe in what I want. Does that count for anything?" _

"… … _If you're a homicidal maniac, I guess so." _

"_Do you always have to be such an ass?" _

"_Is that a trick question?" _

* * *

Shaking his head, A concentrated on the screen in front of him, the old words reigniting faded memories that he did not want to remember.

'Perhaps that's what he's wanted from the start.'

* * *

"_You're speaking nonsense!"_

"_Maybe… but I'm not the one has to wear this guilt on his chest, now I am." _

_L calmly held back a retort, the stinging burn of truth weighing heavily on his conscience. "I am doing what I can to ensure your continued stay in Whammy's. There is not much else I can do if you refuse to play by the rules B. The eligibility of becoming the next 'L' is becoming void, and __**that**__ is something I will not carry myself, now is it?" _

_Whirling around in a flurry of white and blue, L slouched out of the room, the only reminder of his horrible mood the narrowed set of his dark eyes. _

"_You don't… get it."Beyond whispered as L's figure disappeared from view, dark hair hanging over his eyes much like a murky broken halo. "I don't want to __**be**__ you."_

_Dark blue eyes flashed as the manic grin on his face grew millimeter by millimeter, the journal in his back pocket a comfortable weight on his person. _

"_I want to __**beat**__ you."_

_A head full of blonde hair caustically wavered as they stared at the boy they had grown up with float within their own world, a small bit of remorse and fear niggling within their mind as they scuttled away from the scene at hand. _

_Ducking behind the corner they had been hiding behind, the teenage boy shakily sighed, deeply disturbed by the words B seemed to apparently be the truth, and the blind eye that L was suspiciously casting on the wayward boy whom had seemed to lost his way along with the last of his sanity. _

_A had always secretly known that B had been the most dangerous student out of all them…_

_But that hadn't made his attempts to save him lessen in the least. _

* * *

"Where's the one place you would think to hide…" A muttered to himself, closing out the old documents and thinking back on past discussions, knowing that _anything_ B would have told him up to this point would have been a tip-off of some sort. "Not too close… but not too far either. Every single one of the victims were found in hotels or motels, all either surrounding or within Manhattan. Wait."

* * *

"_A, L finally has a case for me!"_

"… _Uh… Ok?" _

"_Act excited, you idiot!" _

"_Um… I'm… excited?"_

_The blonde barely dodged a swing to the head as he laughed, the files strewn across his lap almost falling down to the floor in a heap of disorganized papers and dark ink. _

"_Really, I am! I… swear?"_

* * *

Almost dropping the laptop onto the floor, A felt his mouth fall down in a snap as the screen became dark from lack of use.

"I'm such a fucking idiot."

'_Where's the one place you would hide, B? Where's the one place you would feel safe, even if it scares you yourself and belies everything you hope to accomplish._'

The one place he would expect A to look first and foremost if he was actually on a good day.

'Damn.'

* * *

"_Some homicidal maniac is taking refuge in New York…"_

"… … _Is this suppose to be original?"_

"_He's also a serial rapist." _

"… … _Should I repeat what I just said?"_

"_They think he's working for an underground syndicate that has ties with the Mafia and Triad." _

"_You're not giving me much hope here, B." _

"_Double-crossing both sides?" _

"_Still nothing." _

"_I'll be doing some traveling to look at his work first hand and study the crime scenes…"_

"_Do you really want me to repeat myself?" _

"… … _Shut up, A." _

"_Will do."_

* * *

Where it all began and ended all at once…

_Where B began to crumble, and something entirely __**different**__ began to take his __**place**_.

'Oh, Double Fuck.'

* * *

"_You look like you're having fun!_"

Beyond jumped as he spun around from his now immediate pacing in front of Raito's newfound cage and glared at the Shinigami cackling as he flew down the stairs across from him at a break-neck speed.

"Did you have fun watching _him_, Ryuuk?" Beyond snarled rather viciously as he leaned his forehead against the deteriorating wall of the dark corridor inhabiting him, the shadows of the small amount of space lurking over his head cloaking the murderer with a darkened air of obscurity that belied his overt signature smile and dirty, very-much-blood-stained hands. L shivered as blood-red eyes peered over at the Shinigami as a head full of tangled raven locks fell over Beyond's head like a broken, tainted halo. "Was _he_… amusing to you at all?"

"_More amusing than watching you mess with some random kid I don't know for who knows how long!_" Ryuuk halfway chuckled, delighting in the heavy flush staining Beyond's cheeks as he clenched his fists and gave an animalistic growl. "_At least he made me laugh! You're just confusing me, Beyond… What are you doing, already?!_"

"Be quiet, you buffoon! It's bad enough the boy thinks that he hates me, he doesn't need to think I'm crazy, too!"

"… … _A little too late for that, isn't it?_"

"Shut up!" The echo reverberated throughout the hall, pieces of plaster falling off the walls and onto the dirt-covered floor in a cascading avalanche of cement and clay. "I just need some… time to sort… everything out. It's almost done. I just… I just need my own special brand of _magic_."

"_Magic?_"

"My… fuel, you could say." Beyond burst out into another round of raucous laughter, his teetering consciousness pouring through his now bleeding fingertips like sand down a hourglass. "Aren't you excited, Ryuuk? About the pretty lights?!"

"_Um_…"

"Soon, we'll all be covered in pretty lights. Orange, and yellow, and… and red. … _I love red_." Falling to the floor in a new-fit of giggles, Ryuuk's eternal smile etched with newfound giddiness, ruby-red eyes alight with mischief. "It burns, it _burns_… it's so _pretty_. Itchy and crackly and _God_ does it hurt _so good_… I want to taste it so _badly_!"

L felt his eyes widen as Beyond cackled, shambling over his own feet as he fell face first onto the ground. The Shinigami and human seemed a frightening pair reminding L of just how easily the tides could turn against his father.

Finally noticing the still-giggling Shinigami slowly focus on his attention on him (_finally!_), L gave him an exaggerated gesture with his hands, eyes furtively glancing back at the cycle of doors no doubt housing his friend.

Ryuk rolled his eyes before flipping over onto his front, quickly becoming upright with a disgusting twist of his hips and head. "… … _Why don't you go ahead and show me where the pretty lights are, Beyond?"_

"Lights…?" Beyond echoed dully, for a moment not sounding the least bit like himself. "You want to see the _lights_?"

"_Uh, yeah?_" Scratching the back of his head in confusion, Ryuuk almost blinked as Beyond stared up at the decaying ceiling, eyes half-mast and twitching. "_Don't you too?_"

"I want to feel the pretty lights everywhere, Ryuuk. I want them to dance over all of us, laughing and laughing as they swallow us _whole_!" Scrambling back to his feet, the childish joy that L had thought to have died so many years before was rekindled within Beyond's eyes. Banging against the walls, the giddy murderer gaily laughed as he ran down the hallway with a pair of decrepit ebony wings flying after him as Ryuuk attempted to keep up, muttered chuckles accompanying Beyond's own unstable laughter rather disturbingly. "First, we'll watch the prelude; everybody loves the song and dance! And after the first and second act, the audience will _beg_ for an _encore_!"

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk! Finally! This is getting __**fun**__ again!_"

Watching the two monsters disappear underneath the cloak of darkness, L winced at the obstructing noise the two made and quietly fled down the rest of the flight of stairs in two leaps and a bound. Crouching behind the wall in front of him, L peeked around the corner and saw the barely concealed shadows of his former-protégé still trampling down the long corridor before halting down to a stop in front of another door and flinging himself inside before shutting it behind him.

A crash of heavy wood against cement broke L out of his momentary reverie, making him stumble forward as he silence fell over his ears rather blessedly. Landing ungracefully in front of the door Beyond had been pacing in front of, L let his hand linger over the cold metal of the door and glanced down at the numerous locks and set to twisting each one around slowly.

Hoping he wasn't triggering anything of dire danger, L took in a deep breath and opened the door, and blindly took a step forward.

_Through the terrifying fires of Hell into the empty serenity of Purgatory… _

Blinding white light illuminated the detective's form as he gasped at the sight that met his dark, almost obsidian gaze.

* * *

It hurt just to _sit up_, damn it.

Though Raito was familiar to the pain, did _not_ mean that he was _used to it_, for the love of _God_…

Well, if there was one to love, anyway.

Rubbing his elbows with rough hands, Raito grimaced as the surely infected wounds stretched across his back peeled uncomfortably, the scabbed skin punctured open by the new, quite sudden movements.

Uncomfortably aware of the fact that he had most likely bled through the dirty undershirt that had been splayed out on the ground waiting for him already, Raito sighed as the wonderful feel of rough cloth was pulled over his bruised legs and the comforting weight of the a small notebook settled once again over his thigh.

"Now why does _this_ feel so familiar?" Raito muttered with a sardonic smile, the bitterness cutting into his already torn insides.

Stretching his fingers over his bare forearms, Raito blew out an exhalation of air as his eyes traced every bruise and cut set upon his exposed skin, determination running through his veins as set as adrenaline. Carefully resting his feet on the ground, the 17-year-old songwriter tested his weight on the heels of his feet, wincing at the spring of pins of needles attacking his legs all at once.

'You can do this.' Raito coughed as he carefully shook his legs out, every part of him as jittery outside as he was inside. 'You can _do _this.'

Not noticing the twisting caps of metal coming from across the room, Raito pulled himself forward after an eternity of being kept down, almost falling back onto his back three or four times in a matter of seconds. Jingles of chains and clicks brought Raito back to life as he stumbled to his own feet, barely able to stand, let alone walk, as the door began to open.

Pale, almost skeletal fingers gripped the door's edges as a familiar white tee-shirt and baggy jeans kept his heart at a stand-still, thoughts racing at the speed of light-

'_What is he doing here… Leave me alone… I just want to be alone. Die. Death. Why can't I just feel death… Life is nothing to me now. I want to be __**free**__-_'

For one moment, Raito felt the urge to curl within himself and dive within his mind once more overtake his psyche, but all it took was one look at those eyes (_those oh-so-familiar dark eyes full of drive and hidden intellect, reflecting Raito's own wonder back ten-fold_), and the weight of everything that had happened seemed to drop down into his stomach like a ball of lead.

'_L_…'

With a rush of breath and blur of cloth, two appendages wrapped themselves around Raito's fragile frame, so that all Raito could see was blinding (_warm, oh god, oh so __**warm**_) and beautiful (_gorgeous, what had taken this man so long?!_) white.

'_You found me…_'

Smiling for the first time in who knows how long, Raito felt two tears trail down his cheeks as L still said nothing, his wide dark eyes conveying everything he couldn't say to the beat-up, but still very much alive, musician.

"You found me."

Raito had never been so happy to just be _alive_.


	18. Life Imitating Art Imitating Life

A.N: Well, wow. I probably kept some people hanging off of that very dangerous cliff-hanger from last chapter, didn't I? -.-; Uh... sorry? That probably didn't sound very sincere, did it?Probably because it wasn't. Lol. This story has been both pleasant to write, and a curse I still can't believe I burdened not only myself with, but my beta as well. When the first whisper of a plot was given to me, this was originally going to be a short funny story decorated with silliness and laughter (as the premise itself was funny to think about), but nooooooo... instead of doing both myself and Kitsune-55 a favor (as this was originally her plot-bunny) I was stubborn and wanted to try something new and dramatic. I don't know if I did this story enough justice, as my writing falls short to what I always imagine within my mind, but hopefully the people still reading this story are hanging in there along with me. ^.^;

Oh, and F.Y.I: This is **NOT **the last chapter to LIA. O.O; I KNOW! Lol. Next chapter is most definitely, without a shadow of a doubt THE LAST chapter of this fic, and then we shall have an epilogue to commerate the momentous celebration of it ending. When you'll get those last two chapters... well, why don't you drop a line and ask instead of just wondering? XD Yay for me. Lol. I know this fic garners a lot of questions, but a lot of the things within this fic are more insinuated or alluded to than straight-out explained. I suppose I like to leave it for the reader to decide just what they do and do not see. ^.^

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, nor do I lay claim to any songs within this fic that were not personally written by me, the awesome fanfic writer named Hari-Aisu who governs her collection of manga, graphic novels and doujinshi with an iron FIST! Emphasis on the FIST. ... ... ... Don't ask. XD Now, I'm off to give my baby a bubblebath and hope you guys enjoy the latest chapter! WOOSH!

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Eighteen: _Life Imitating Art Imitating Life_

* * *

The continual string of nurses rushing past the neurotic inventor and fidgety detective barely blinked as they past them by, not even watching as the two older gentlemen stationed in front of Walter Clemens' door stood stock-still like statues, moving neither forward into the room nor stepping back out into the ongoing traffic of the busy hallway.

Soichirou's heart hammered against his chest, scared of what may be either a dead-end or an entire upheaval within their case.

Watari steeled his jaw as his hand slowly leaned forward, the completely closed-off dark door intimidating in its stature, making it all the more difficult to break through. The elderly gentleman was just as apprehensive of whatever outcome their visit would inspire, although he didn't have the same jaw-dropping paranoia residing within him to not do what needed to be done as his younger counterpart.

Twisting the doorknob, Watari pushed himself inside and prepared himself for the stifling scent of antiseptics that lingered especially within patient's rooms and the onslaught of noises made by the machines no doubt connected to the FBI agent that had been caught in the crossfire.

And boy, was Watari _not _disappointed in the least.

"Mr. Clemens…" Staggering for a moment at the battered visage now peering in his direction and the blank evergreen gaze glazed over from whatever concoction of drugs being pumped into his system, Watari once again closed himself off and kept hold of his stoic countenance. "I see you are doing well, Mr. Clemens."

Beckoning them both in with a pull of his index finger, Clemens held a barely-there smirk over his lips, not looking the least perturbed in being seen in his condition. The detective seemed almost… _eager _to be seen, in fact. "Well, I decided on a… new look… so to _speak_. How does the beaten-and-battered style work for me, boys?"

Soichirou bit back a tiny smile, the tension within the room dissipating at least a small bit.

"If you're going for the 'I'm the Victim' look, then you've got it down pat." Holding his hand forward, Soichirou almost let out a sigh of relief as the younger detective gently accepted the welcoming grasp within his own (_the knuckles and stretched skin against the hand looked pale and swollen, not broken, though still most definitely painful_) as the barely-there father formally introduced himself. "My name is Soichirou Yagami. It's very nice to meet you."

"Yagami… you're related to Light, then?" Tilting his head in acknowledgement, Soichirou could already see the recognition behind the other man's calculating gaze, the disorientation from the amount of painkillers being pushed into Clemens' body stagnantly slowing down his mental capabilities. "Light's father…?"

"Yes. I'm sure if you're on the case, you most likely know plenty about me."

"Mid-forties, part of the NPA, distinguished officer for all intents and purposes… and crappy dad, to boot." Taking the criticism for what it was (_blatantly_), Soichirou wearily nodded. "Sorry. Usually my partner is the quiet, but blunt one, but…"

Taking into account the saddened features dropping down from the FBI agent's face, the elder detective steered the conversation away from such an obviously sore subject and brought himself back to the situation at hand.

"They've been gone for almost two weeks now." Soichirou whispered, feeling a part of his heart crack under the pressure of Clemens' suddenly bedraggled gaze.

"_They_…?"

"Yes." Soichirou uncomfortably replied. "The both of them are missing. I don't think I need to specify just who."

"He… he _took _them _both_?! That crazy bastard!" Watery green eyes blazed with dumb-down anger. "I just… I don't remember a whole _lot_, but I saw him grab Light. I _saw him_, and I couldn't even _move_. I-"

"Please, just tell us what you _can _remember; if you think any of it might be related to the case, or if you saw them leave in any general direction, anything at all! Anything you could think of would be much appreciated, Mr. Clemens!" The weary father felt the dam holding up his emotions steadily leak forward as the edge of panic lingering in his eyes poured into his hysterically-pitched voice. "I have to find this man at all costs, if not-I don't know what I'd do if my son was… was _taken _from me _permanently_."

Sitting up from his spot on the bed, Clemens cleared his throat as his lackadaisical stare fell short on the police officer from another country. "I'll tell you what I remember, but before anything else, I think… no. You need to know; I don't think his priority is to kill Light. In fact, I _know_he won't kill him, I can feel it in my bones, Mr. Yagami."

"You can't be so sure!" Soichirou snapped, his patience wearing thinner by the second. "We don't know what this man's after, and we can't start basing our assumption around gut feelings-!"

"Listen!" Lines of stress overcame Clemens' face as he leaned forward and coughed, his throat dry from the overload of talking and lack of liquids. "Yes, when a person becomes obsessed with a person to the point of becoming _fanatical_, murder _can _be involved, especially in a lot of cases where it points of obsessions involving celebrities of all kinds. These sick individuals might be in it for the fame or just the act of _possession_, but what I saw in that man's eyes wasn't just puppy-dog-love or ignorant bliss or even homicidal intent! It was… _disturbing_ and _passionate_, but most of all…"

Green eyes narrowing as they truly focused in on the older man's dark-brown gaze for the first time that meeting, Soichirou felt a violent shiver painfully crawl down his spine. "It was his eyes. His eyes… they _burned_. I don't know with what, but those weren't the eyes of a human. Their expression, their stare, their _glow…_"

"I'd never seen anything like it in my life. And I've seen a lot of sick shit." Rolling the sheets beneath his hands like clay or putty, the rough fabric of the bed sheets stuck to the agent's bitten fingernails in a painful fashion. "I don't know why he would take Ryuuga, but his interest with Light was most definitely his main priority. The way he held him, the look on his face when he picked him up… if I hadn't been so messed up at the time, I would have been scared _for _him."

"What did he _look _like?!" Soichirou couldn't hold back it back anymore, startling the two other men within the room.

"… … He… you just won't _believe _me."

Startling green eyes met warm chocolate brown, knocking out the vestiges of doubt lingering within their sorrowful gaze. Before the unasked question could be iterated, a tremulous sigh broke through their conversation, Watari's weathered face clouding over with exhaustive energy and staled adrenaline.

"Before I passed out, he came over to me." Face as pale as snow, the sandy-haired FBI agent gulped as he remembered those intense crimson-colored eyes and bedraggled charcoal shag of hair hanging over his peripheral vision, cold hands reaching into his jeans pocket before a striking blow knocked him into unconsciousness. "He wanted me to see him. If he really wanted to remain anonymous, he could have done so, but he didn't care at the time. He was doing everything according to his own plan."

"But _why_-"

"_I don't know_." The hysterical edge hanging off of Clemens' voice couldn't be ignored as Watari and Soichirou backed off just a tiny bit. "All I know is that he kept me alive for a reason, and I can't quite explain why, but this _thing _is eating at me! You have to get Light and Ryuuga back, and you have to do it _soon_."

"What-"

"That guy was a freak of nature! I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he managed to think up ways to… _hurt _them, if not kill them! All of the evidence; all of the way the murders were commited, it just couldn't be a coincidence! It was just too much! And… and not just that… if all that wasn't enough, he looked… just like…" Biting back his tongue, Clemens gave Watari a thorough look, not knowing just how much Soichirou himself was informed of and not wanting to give anything away. "He looked just like _him_, Watari. Just like-"

"L…" Watari cut him off, time seeming to stop for just one single solitary second.

The widening of the eyes, the quickening of his breath…

The elderly inventor felt as if he had just died and been sent to the farthest reaches of hell-

But it was the fact that L was most likely living it in the most literal of senses that made him feel as if he had failed in the most spectacular of ways.

"Dear God no…"

"I have no doubt in my mind that he'll be willing to kill whoever he has to, to make sure that he gets what he wants. The note-" Pointing over to the bag nestled within the chair, Clemens sighed as his eyes drooped even further. "The note is in my bag. I-I put it in my pants, just in case one of the paramedics threw it out by accident at the scene of the accident. Please… I think what you need is in there."

Nodding, Soichirou zipped open the bag-

"The dark blue ones… with the holes in them, obviously. I asked them to just leave them there after I woke up from the accident." Soichirou plucked out the aforementioned garment and gave the younger man an incredulous stare. Choking down his unruffled chuckles, Clemens nodded before making a pick-pocket motion with his fingers. "The pockets. _Check the pockets_."

Digging through the first two pockets without success, the exasperated investigator pulled out a slim, slightly crumpled piece of lined paper out from the confines of the jeaned-lined cloth back pocket. Glancing over at the agent staring at him with wide green eyes, Soichirou sighed.

"_Just read it_."

* * *

_I wonder who is reading this. _

_Or maybe not. _

_With each second that passes, so does the beating of their hearts. _

_Will you… die for them? _

_Will you… cry for them?_

_Who are you? _

_Who am I?_

_That's the question isn't it?_

_Or…_

_Is it __**where**__?_

_Where._

_Where._

_Where…_

_I'm nowhere._

_Tic-Toc goes the clock…_

_I'm waiting for someone to play the hero-_

_I'm waiting for someone…_

_Don't. _

_**Forget. **_

_**Me**__._

* * *

"But… _why_?" Clemens whispered to himself, honestly perplexed with the situation at hand. "Why take _Ryuuga_ if all he was after was _Light_? I just don't _get it_!"

Soichirou turned to look at Watari, who seemed to be just as unnerved as he was, hands trembling as he nearly dropped the note onto the floor. There was a strike of understanding between the two, the elder men taking stock in both their emotions and their own situations at hand. The whisper came out unbidden, almost against Soichirou's will.

"Because to whoever it was that took them… it was never just about Raito, was it?" The onslaught of words spewing from his lips were neither hesitant nor callous, conveying the officer's anger which lay in a staple of raging silence hanging within the room. "You know who did this."

It wasn't really a question on Soichirou's part.

Just a statement of _fact_.

"No… I suppose I really should have seen this coming. Or at least," And Watari had to wonder just why this hadn't been considered an option from day _one_. "L should have, anyway."

"Amazing." Unable to fully reign in the hook over his own emotional overload of anger ready to tip him over the edge, the look on Soichirou's face hardened into one of volatile contempt. "If _L_ knows him, that's one thing, but what did _Raito_ do to get this psychotic murderer's _attention_?!"

"… … I suppose you can say that _he _and Mr. Yagami have much in common, now that one thinks about it." Watari whispered as he silently cringed to himself, dark blue eyes lowering in shame. Not taking notice in the stare swiveling in his direction as the tall Japanese detective practically gaped over at him, the oldest in the room turned to Clemens' waiting eyes and quivering demeanor.

"I know this might not be the best time, but has… has anyone informed any of Lacy's family yet about their… loss?" The young agent muttered, gaze wavering in nervousness.

"They are… speaking with his wife as of this moment. I made sure that the remains were sent over before the call was made."

"May I see her?"

"Of course. I'll put in the call immediately." Giving both men an apologetic nod, Watari quickly stepped out of the room and away from the two other men intensely staring at him, even if for different reasons. "Excuse me."

"Well, he was looking for an excuse to get the heck out of here in a hurry." Clemens pathetically joked, taking in the detective's strained smile with his own chagrined grin and tired nod.

"I'm not really surprised, to tell you the truth." Soichirou snidely smirked. "I don't think I would want to be next to me right now _either_."

"I'm sorry wasn't able to be of more assistance, detective." Clemens gave the man standing stoically beside him a hesitant smile, knowing there was no way to truly convey just how remorseful he truly felt inside. The old Yagami wearily nodded, knowing how much it took out of the agent to admit such fallacy.

"Just… one last thing?" Clemens seemed to be struggling for a moment, his eyes cloudy with pain and misery. "Catch this bastard… and make him _pay_ for all of the things he's done. Lacy… Lacy was a good guy. Wasn't just my partner, but my mentor, and I know that he'd have given as much as he could to find this psychopath. And I know that L and Light, they're good kids, ya know?"

The elderly Yagami stiffly nodded as he strode out of the room, one hand clenched with frustration and the note crushed tightly within the other.

'Raito… it seems as if you are _always_ the one who has to pay for everyone else's _idiotic _mistakes…'

Before Soichirou could fall into his own miserable attempts at self-pity, the shrill cry of the phone bound within his blazer's pocket shoved him out of his own thoughts and back into reality. Quickly grabbing the phone, the detective barely held back his own greeting as a voice screeched loudly within his poor, defenseless ear.

"_YO, POPS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU AT! WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS CRIME-AGE TO UNCOVER, OLD MAN!_"

"_A_?! What the-"

"_HEY! YOU GUYS NEED TO GET YOUR ASSES OUT OF THAT DAMN HOSPITAL PRONTO, I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!_"

"I-"

For a moment, Soichirou ignored the voice on the other end of the phone as he took note of a bright red smear poking from the corner of the piece of paper held within his other hand. Straightening the crumpled message, dark brown eyes glanced back at the other side of the note, an address clearly scribbled on the bottom in carmine-red ink, tiny dark spots of brown clinging to the corner of the smudged scrawl.

"_Hey, Yagami?! Are you even __**listening**__ to me? I know where they are!_"

Soichirou could barely breathe as he flagged down Watari, whom had shut off his own phone and jogged down after the suddenly running officer rampaging down the hospital corridors.

"… And so do we!"

* * *

"Raito?" L whispered within the boy's ear, somewhat surprised by the pure and candid response. After being tortured for who knows how long by a man who looked so much like himself, he had expected a withdrawal from his friend; a somewhat frosty reception reminiscent of the steely-eyed gazes that Raito would give him when speaking of his sordid past, which did nothing but highlight how anguished the boy truly was inside his proverbially amicable façade. "Would it be too much of a bother to ask you if you are alright?"

"… Shut up, L." Holding back the watered-down gaze hanging off of his virtually relieved visage, Raito bit back a groan of discomfort as his friend's hands gently traveled down his torso, tracing every single bump, bruise, cut and ragged incision covering his skin. "You do _so _much better when you're _not _trying to actually be empathetic and just be your emotionally-crippled self."

"You'll have to excuse me, Raito. I… don't actually know what to say for once."

Raito snorted as a tear trailed down his cheek, feeling a pale amusement overshadow his being as L's own truthful (_and rather blunt_) statement echoed within the small room.

"Just… hold me for a second, and _get me the hell out of here_." The tired brunette almost collapsed into the embrace as the hold now lingering over his waist tightened inexplicably, milk-chocolate brown eyes watering more and more by the second. "We have to get out of here _now_."

"Raito, please calm yourself." L steadied the boy as he struggled on his feet, his posture a hunched at an angle similar to his own. Wide frightened eyes shifted from side to side as the pop-star leaned back away from the door and shivered lightly in paranoid hysteria.

"Oh God… how did you even _get_here? Are you ok?! Tell me you're ok! D-damn, I-I can't breathe-I can't breathe!" L held onto the young boy as his weak body shook with panic, pulling him closer to his person as he tried to calm the musician down without being too loud or awkward. Not knowing what else to do, L knelt them both down and let the pop-star continue hyperventilating within his arms.

"Raito… please calm down." The detective reiterated, not sure how to comfort the boy without frightening him even further. "We must collect ourselves so that we do not give ourselves away in our escape from this place. Alright?"

Realizing that the boy essentially had no idea of his whereabouts or whether or not he had even been _alive _or not, L sighed against his chin's spot on Raito's thin, almost delicate shoulder. Even beneath the sweat, dried blood and overwhelming stench of vomit and who knows whatever else, he could still smell _Raito _underneath all that.

Between the music-worship, investigative entanglements and long-winded pasts lying underneath both of their feet, L knew he had _never _felt this amount of emotion in his life.

"I wasn't harmed as you were. Not even close…"

"You _know._" Pulling himself away from the wayward detective, Raito's completely shattered expression pulled up a guard rectified in mere seconds. "How _much _do you-"

"Raito, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things, we must _hurry_-"

"He left, I heard him leave-"All the fright that lingered heavily beneath the relief and soulful emergence of his own _actual _consciousness (_a part of him had wondered where it had gone, earlier_) poured over in waves as L pulled him forward, limping rather pitifully on his unused legs. "You saw him? You did… where is he?! We have to _go_!"

"Please, _calm_ _yourself_, Raito." Taking a shuttering breath, the younger man leaned forward and surprised his companion by wrapping a hand around his clothed side. Lowering his voice several octaves, L silently pushed the door open as he kept his other arm swung around Raito's lips, taking in each and every groove of distress marring the musician's visage. "Be quiet. I think I may have a plan, but you must pull yourself together, if only until we are out of this mad man's clutches. Is that understood?"

A cold thin hand suddenly appeared over L's own emaciated grip, honey-brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears and newfound resolution. Barely feeling the other tilt his head forward as a sign of the affirmative, L pushed forward, the darkness of the hallway illuminated by the one source of light just meters away.

"I believe I know where we are, Raito-kun, and if that is the case, the only way out is-"

"To follow him." Raito finished for him, meekly following the investigator as he slinked forward, glancing behind him as the dank set of stairs going upwards. "But what about-"

"_You don't want to go up there._" L simply stated as he hit the door Beyond had passed through and slipped inside, roving over the long slim sets of stairs leading towards a dark set of double doors. "I…"

"Ok." The boy nodded shakily, his smile a quivering, teary mess slapped rather ungracefully against his face. "I trust you, L."

Hearing the words out loud instead of just insinuated as he pulled the high-strung pop-star along with him made the detective feel good enough to give his companion a small beam in return, letting his worry fall in the back of his head where it belonged.

"I won't let you down, Raito."

'… … _I hope_.'

* * *

"_Wow… you really thought this through!_" Ryuuk guffawed as B tinkered with the small object within his hands, feeling a bit small in the large room surrounded by box upon box of Beyond's very own set of _toys_. "_And here I thought you actually __**cared **__about the poor kid!_"

"I wasn't lying, Ryuuk. Light _is_ precious to me." The lack of monotonous boredom hanging from B's red-tinged gaze was offsetting against the image of the one he wore just moments before, caging himself back into the reality he so hated. "But I saw the look in his eyes. I remember all too well what he feels myself."

"_Aw, does little itty-bitty Beyond feel guilty because he played with his cute doll without his dolly's own consent? Now __**that's **__rich!_"

"I don't feel guilty, just… _sympathetic. _Besides, he'll understand soon enough. We're cut from the same piece of cloth, really…"

The dim dank basement rang with the unstable man's shaky voice, making its way up the shallow sets of stairs leading back up towards his special friend's _cage_.

"I knew it was going to this end this way. Is it sad that I hoped for something different?" Giving the Shinigami a slight tilt of his head, Beyond quivered back into the shadows that had housed him for so many years and began tinkering with his toys again. Wire upon wire flowed from the mass of trinkets inhabiting the large crates, making the man smile unsteadily.

'I suppose it is, isn't it?'

* * *

'_Once a nut-job, __**always **__a nut-job…_'

Ryuuk sighed as his source of entertainment basked in his own stupor once again, locking him out as he played within his own demented mind filled with half-baked plans and dream-filled montages all surrounding his precious _Light_.

'_What's so awesome about this kid, anyway?!_' The Shinigami muttered in his own head, floating away from the fruit-loop about to lose his own mind to himself. '_From what I've seen, he doesn't even roll over! Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…_'

Doing two small back-flips before contorting his body into a complicated ball against the wall next to the staircase, (_God, where were some apples when you needed them?!_) the small grin on Ryuuk's face began to grow all the more monstrous as tiny echoes of footsteps resounded from the crack of the small door leading up to the stairwell behind it.

Floating through the door and sticking his head right through it, Ryuuk nearly fell as two slim silhouettes tiptoed down closer to his destination, perking him up with excitement.

'_IT'S SHOWTIME! FINALLY!_'

Ryuuk almost laughed out loud as L peered over at the beast now staring up at him with a gastric smile, eyes wider than usual. Bouncing within the air as his wings flapped rather obnoxiously into L's ears as he turned back and pushed something into Light's arms, the Shinigami contemplated whether or not his cooperation was still fully necessary at this point…

'_Certainly would make things much more… __**interesting**__, wouldn't it?_'

Slowly floating over to the young singer shivering in the corner, Ryuuk silently grinned as he floated over to the boy staring at his companion's retreating back. L cautiously entered the room and kept a good distance away from himself and the doppelganger still muttering under his breath on the other side of the room, shadowed by the large crates littering the warehouse-like storage room.

'_Goooooooood luuuuuuuuuck L…_'

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk… I suppose he could spare just a few minutes of his **time **little ol' me…_"

* * *

"_Well?! What the hell, Yagami?!_"

Soichirou almost gasped out for breath as he shut the car door and revved up the engine, dark brown eyes narrowing viciously. "It's going to take me a good twenty minutes to get to the building, and that's _if _there's no traffic! Did you call in the-"

"_YES, DAMN IT! Everything that should have been done is all set, you idiot, just hit the pedal to the metal and get your ass over there! Once they get out, the least you can do is make sure that there's someone they know waiting for them outside!_"

"We're going already, ok?!" Throwing the phone over to Watari, Soichirou pulled out of his parking spot and immediately hit the streets with abandon. His usually composed expression was scattered into intense terror, concentrating solely on the road in front of him and his son's face pasted behind his mind's eye.

"A?" Watari cautiously whispered into the phone's receiver, biting his lip as his protégé breathed heavily into the other line. "Are you alright?"

"… … _I'm fine. Just… don't hurt him so bad, alright? He's… it's not his fault! It's not!_"

Shaking his head as the man he had also helped raise (_if only in a incorporeal sense_) began to speak in stutters, Watari wondered how many lives B would have to ruin before he realized that it wasn't just his own downfall that he was pushing towards.

"_Watari? Promise me… please? I can't see him get hurt again, even-even if he does deserve it. If not for everything that's happened to him, he wouldn't be like this, I know it!_"

"You really care for him, A." The amazement shadowing Watari's voice was undeniable, taking the younger detective on the phone by surprise. "Even now, you're still making excuses for him after everything he's done."

"_When you love somebody, you love it all. Or it's just not love… right?_"

"… … Right." Keeping his eyes on the road as the trembling detective in the driver's seat continued on silently, Watari quietly prayed within his own mind and let A continue to whimper on the phone, occasionally whispering something worth listening.

"_Right_."

* * *

Raito felt his heart pound painfully within his chest as the corners of his eyes began to dim against his will, his voice dry and hoarse and his hands clenched against the sides of his cargo pants. Gripping onto the frame of the door as he watched his companion continued to slip in between the large crates all around the room, the tired and malnourished brunette almost tripped over his feet behind the less-than-regal detective and scoped out their terrain.

'Door… I see a door…'

On the farthest side of the room from where he stood, just beyond the large crates and dark corners lingering over his sight, a door lay in plain sight, no doubt leading out into the open the pop-star so desperately craved. It looked to be rusted over, the pale white lining cracked with golden-brown speckles of age hinting at the once vibrant color of the metal blockade.

Grabbing onto L's shoulder, the investigator barely jumped as Raito pointed forward, a slight look of trepidation creeping over his visage. Taking hold of the teenager's fragile hand, L hesitantly pulled him forward, careful to make sure that nothing lay in his way or that a certain psychotic murderer with a singer-fetish didn't notice them or their footsteps.

The one time his hatred for shoes came in handy for both him and Raito, L silently thought to himself in morbid amusement. Though the boy's blood-stained feet would probably attest otherwise…

"_It's not here, I can't see it-Where is it?! Where could it be?!_"

L froze in his spot as the voice began to scream anxious obscenities, reaching high pitches that most men could not even attempt, let alone stomach. Huddling the shivering singer closer to his person, the utterly exhausted detective ignored the shrill voice still screeching and rushed past the large crates hiding their slim silhouettes-

Before the slim weight of a hand against his own disappeared rather forcefully, a sickening smack echoing within the large room as the voice from before immediately quieted in response.

L felt his eyes widen as the absolute silence chilled him to the bone, neither Raito's sudden disappearance nor his own unarmed figure doing much to lift his already dying spirits.

* * *

"GOD DAMN IT, THIS TRAFFIC IS DRIVING ME FUCKING CRAZY!" Soichirou spewed out as he viciously hit the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. "What the hell is the matter with these people?!"

"I suppose this is Mr. Yagami's first trip to New York?" Watari muttered sarcastically under his breath, feeling the strains of stress tug rather violently within his chest.

"I guess that goes without saying..."

"You must calm yourself, especially when driving in Manhattan of all places. The road rage here is incredibly notorious for a reason." Pointing at the next corner, Soichirou quickly took that left before the light just a few yards before him could turn red. "That, and I'm sure that when Raito manages to escape from his prison, he would... _appreciate _seeing his father all in one piece."

"..."

"... ... I _think_."

Scoffing as the car lurched forward from the pressure of his foot against the brake, Soichirou let the comment slide in distaste.

It had made him feel at least a _little _bit better, after all.

"We're almost there, Raito..." Fingers squeezed the worn rubber trapped beneath them, eyes narrowing behind their clear spectacles. "_We're almost __**there**_."

* * *

"L…?" Raito rasped quietly, shaking quietly on the floor he laid as he received no response in return. The pain-ridden brunette pulled himself forward as he looked down at his bleeding ankle, the sharp piece of metal protruding from the decaying wooden crates dripping with the crimson liquid as well.

Gasping in pain, Raito pulled himself onto one foot as he leaned his weight against the smooth surface of the giant box towering over him, careful of the random wedges of steel and other miscellaneous objects poking out of its embargo.

Smudges of inky black dust coated the stained metal as well, making Raito's eyes widen rather fearfully.

'That… doesn't look good.'

Anxiously trying to put weight on his injured leg-

"_Gragh!_"

Raito bit his lip until it too became stained with blood, the pain resonating from the heel of his foot all the way to his head in barely a millisecond's time. Instead of concentrating on putting his foot down on the ground once more, Raito looked down at his feet and carefully wiggled his toes, wincing as the sensation was felt and the appendages moved, if only slightly.

'Ok, not broken, that's good-Damn it, I'm going to get an infection from hell with all the untreated cuts my body's been dealt with here!' Carefully maneuvering himself around the boxes, Raito tentatively let his leg gently fall to the ground, not allowing too much of his weight to even itself out over both of his feet. 'L, L, L, where the hell are you, L?!'

Knowing that he might've spoken too soon, Raito felt his hands slip from the wooden panels of the crates and nearly tripped back onto the ground.

* * *

Ducking under a curved underpass hanging precariously over his head, L glanced back in the direction he came in, not seeing Raito or hearing the muttering curses that had helped keep him on his guard.

Silent footsteps tiptoed over the refuge covering the warehouse (_because that was were they were, something that didn't click until L himself had finally escaped his prison_), the darkness shrouding him within the large spacious walls of the depot they had been deposited within.

"_L_?" A voice tentatively called out from far off to his left, nothing more than a grainy whisper.

The silence within the room shattered regardless, such a vocalization coming at a steady price.

Turning over so that he could find his way back to his companion, L barely had any time to move before a decaying plank flew into his face, causing him to fall head first and ebb into the swirling vortex of unconsciousness trying to pull him into its trance.

"L!"

L almost felt his eyes close on their own accord as the pain rushed against the side of his head, falling to his knees in a crumpled heap. Watching the boy whose face seemed to be set in an eclectic mixture of pain, anguish and fear, the detective fought back the swerving unconsciousness threatening to overthrow him completely as a sudden plank crashed onto his back with a crushing force of strength.

"Stop it!" Raito cried out hoarsely, pushing his way forward as those harsh set of blood-red eyes stayed focused on the man sprawled out on the ground, intensely coughing. Pulling the older man's head back, B waved something in front of his face before roughly turning him over and plopping down over the detective's stomach.

"I found it, L." Brushing back his hair from the long cut now running down the side of his face, L blurrily blinked as Beyond continued to wave a small box-shaped contraption in front of his dimming vision. "I finally found it. I'm going to make everything sparkle and shout and scream and cry… we'll cry together, right?"

"I'm sure you'll be crying, alright." L muttered through clenched teeth, the muted throbbing on his head, face and back amplifying all the other aches and sore spots he had been suppressing up until that moment. "What will you do now, B? Throw another temper tantrum and destroy another set of lives? It won't _change __**anything**_-"

"SHUT UP! You see, L, that's where you're wrong…" Calming himself almost immediately after quickly pushing the man's head back onto the floor, Beyond sinisterly smiled to himself. "After this is done, it will change _everything_. Me, you… even Light. He'll see me, finally, he'll see me, I swear…"

"If he ever _sees _you like you say he will, then he will only see the man that _violated _him whilst knowing that he had been-"

A sickening crack snapped through the air as B backhanded the detective, nearly dropping his contraption as he immediately reached for something out of his back-pocket with his other hand. Tiny glints of silver met L's scattered vision, knowing that this was no longer his 'protégé' he was speaking with (_however inadvertently_) but with the man that had murdered countless people for a cause he was not entirely sure about and an anger he had not yet learned how to control.

"I SAID _STOP_!"

The usually welcoming tenor that both men had grown used to hearing (_whether it be in pitiful groans of pain or smooth comebacks snapped at a moment's notice_) trembled with unbridled rage and terror.

Beyond turned back at the familiar voice screaming upward, Raito's defiant eyes not nearly as frightening as what lay within his arms…

"How did you get that?" The high-pitched fear within the murderer's voice filled the songwriter with a sense of morbid satisfaction, the painful realization that now _Raito _was something to be feared ringing uncomfortably in Beyond's ears. "I _asked you _a question, _dear_._ Now, _how_ did you __**get**__ that, __**Light**_?"

"Left something upstairs?" L smoothly answered, though still pinned beneath the insane fanatic, thanking his good graces that Raito had heeded to his warnings and done as he had been told.

B growled, gripping the knife within his sweaty palm all the more tightly.

"Does it matter, anyway?" The boy answered in return, the coldness radiating from his usually warm gaze freezing Beyond over in seconds. "You should _really _let him go now."

"And why is _that_?" Beyond questioned, looking all the more amused.

"Because I can just as easily write _your _name down, you know!"

"And what name is that?"

Raito smirked, his eyes shimmering a deep crimson red as Ryuuk's harsh cackles echoed in the background.

"Beyond Birthday, of course."

Sitting back on the haunches of his legs, B relaxed his form against the detective in a mocking state of tranquility. "So you made the deal, huh?"

"Deal?" L echoed, Ryuuk not having said anything to him about any sort of deal, especially when pertaining to Raito's or his own _eyes, _if the new striking color was any indication. "What _deal _are you speaking of, _exactly?_"

"Hmph. You don't need to worry your little head about it, L. Though _why _our pretty birdie has deemed himself crazy enough to be your protector as of now is a mystery I would like to become more familiar with." His own eyes began to burn with a deep routed sense of jealousy. "_Light_…?"

"I… I just don't want anyone else to die because of me." Raito whispered, inwardly calling himself a coward for the tiny cope-out, even if true. "You stepped over the line once you hit him, don't make me step over mine."

"And you really _think _that that damn notebook actually _scares me, _Light-"

"And you think it scares me? Or that I care about what you would do to me if I didn't have it? You saw for yourself. You could cut me open again, hit me, _rape _me, Hell, _**kill me **_and I still wouldn't give a shit." Raito firmly replied. "I'll burn with you, if that's what it takes. But you _will_ let him go_._"

"Really?" Yet even Beyond looked skeptical in the face of his own dubiousness. Grasping onto the small machination within his hand, fingers shakily hovered over the series of buttons.

"_Really_." Raito replied strongly in return, eyes burning with a vigor that had seemed so beyond his reach just hours before.

"And how do you know I haven't already written _his_ name in the note?" Looking down at L's pain-wracked face, Beyond grinned in devilish amusement. "How do you know this isn't all for nothing?"

"Because despite what you've done, you really haven't tried to hurt me as much as I think you want L to think you have. Because you don't really want me to hate you, if what anything you said held some grain of truth within it… because even though you're in pain, you don't hold anything you've felt against me or L, or else you probably would've killed us both by now." Twisting the edges of the notebook within his hands, Raito heard a swift beat of rushing air pull down behind him. "Are those enough reasons for you, or do you want me to keep going?"

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk! Kid's got a point, B! You haven't got the guts to really pull this all off, or else you would have done so already!_" Ryuuk cackled just above Raito's head, throwing his head back and letting his shrill guffaws bounce off the rusted walls of the room they all resided. "_I can see why you like this kid, now! He's just as much of a riot as you are, if not, more!_"

Opening his mouth to spew something out in response, Beyond could barely even twitch before L suddenly kicked his legs up and flipped them over, kicking the tiny device out of his hands and onto the ground.

'_Shit!_'

Still holding onto the knife in his left hand, Beyond lunged forward just as Raito cried out in anticipation, wanting to do something that _didn't _include killing people. Limping forward, Raito ignored the batting of wings flapping incessantly behind him as the cackles grew hoarse and irritable.

"_Just let 'em duke it out to the death! That'll save you some trouble in the long run, kid!_"

"I can't…"

"_And what can you do?_" Ryuuk whispered against Raito's ear, smiling wickedly at the thought. "_Except use the book, anyway?_"

"Not unless there are no other options yet. I won't submit myself to murder as easily as Beyond did. Not when…" Raito let his head drop slightly as he coughed. "Not when I've already seen the repercussions for such an act."

"_Reprecussions, you say?_"

"Yes." Raito whispered raspedly. "Death, it seems, also comes with a price."

"ARGH!" L suddenly fell back as he grasped his side, more of the carmine-colored substance pouring over from his body. The instrument within Beyond's hands were now covered in the crimson liquid-

Making Raito _burn _with an eclectic set of emotions he hadn't felt in a good _year._

Not since-

'Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it-'

Not caring about his messed-up ankle or the pain coursing through his body after days, _weeks _of abuse, Raito rushed forward and threw himself in front of the stumbling detective, tears once again coursing down his face. "Don't-don't hurt him!"

* * *

_Raito stood paralyzed as Mikami's head hit the corner of a wall, blood making itself apparent as the man's eyes began to roll up in the back of his head. Staring at his lover's still bleeding head, Raito almost missed the flash of silver on his right side before-_

_That sickening crack, along with the look on his lover's face as he dropped down onto the ground would stay with the 16-year-old for the rest of his god forsaken life._

* * *

"Please… please don't hurt him." Almost sobbing, Raito felt himself break off into pieces as the rush of helplessness and rage mixed inside him, breaking off all rational thought and jumbling up together so that the past and the present began to blur in front of his eyes.

Beyond quirked an eyebrow up at the familiar expression of pain set over Raito's face, this one not the same as the fleeting expressions he had seen as he had carved into his skin or forced himself inside the boy's body, but-

* * *

_B almost fled forward as Raito seemed lost for a moment, before he caught a small sliver of metallic caught within the other man's hands as an arm flew forward and-_

_Blood was all that B saw for just a second's time as the producer's already fallen body convulsed against the wall he was perched against, the last bit of life set within those dark brown eyes withering away in a heartbeat._

_Without a bit of shame, dark eyes turned towards the brunette now shivering on the ground in a crumpled mess of shock. Legs locked together as the men spoke for a bit, before gathering around the vulnerable sixteen-year-old who was still staring at their former lover's body in a state of near catatonia._

* * *

-an echo of an anguished emotion that lingered a little too closely to Beyond's own clutter of emotional baggage.

"Give me the Note, and I'll let you both go." Beyond whispered, tapping a blood-encrusted finger against the hilt of the blade. "Alright?"

"You're lying." Raito snarled, face pale and withdrawn. "You're worse than me. At least I have a limit to the amount of lies that come out of my mouth. You lie without even thinking twice about it."

"Even so," The former agent whispered, "I don't see any other choices for you to pick from, Mr. Yagami."

Raito, surprisingly, stayed silent for a moment before taking two steps forward and staring at the twisted murderer with blank eyes and a vacant frown. Before the detective behind him or the his former protégé could even blink, the younger man turned and threw the damned notebook over the carte of crates and let it scatter in a noisy blur against the dirt-infested floor of the warehouse, spinning around and hauling up the injured man still shaking in shock.

Beyond sputtered as he ran forward, not noticing as Raito skittered down with L still practically glued to his shoulder and grabbed the remote that had been dropped earlier in his and L's scuffle.

Pushing himself off of the singer's grasp, L pulled him towards the set of double doors and eyed the boy as he glanced down at the contraption in his hands. Violently kicking the set of double doors open, L felt himself smile as he glanced back at Raito and pointed downward.

"Going down?"

Raito rolled his eyes as he pushed himself inside and shut the doors behind him, only giving himself one second of breath before looking down-

And flicking the switch, so to speak.

* * *

"Well?!" Soichirou rushed out of the car as they finally arrived to the scene, the large, and of course, _abandoned _(_somehow, he felt a surge of stupidity attack him head-on_) warehouse still and silent as ever, minus the set of officers raiding both inside and out of the premises before a loud, sickening explosion imploded over head, the back portion of the giant estate going up in tremendous set of flames.

"RAITO!" The father called out as he ran past the groups of policemen and broke inside, Watari trailing after him with a cell-phone seemingly stuck against his ear. "WE NEED MORE BACK UP IN HERE, PEOPLE!"

"We're on it!" A young man of Hispanic descent bellowed back as he rushed to a car and radioed something in, Soichirou too far into the maze that was the storehouse to actually hear.

'Raito, I'm coming, just hang on!'

* * *

"That was an orgasm in the making, apparently." L coughed at the amount of smoke and stale air filtered into his lungs, grabbing the boy before he could inhale too much and breaking open a window just on their far right. After nearly flying down half the flights of stairs and feeling as if he had broken every bone in his body, L was not all that amused. "Lovely."

"And I see your jokes are just as lame as always." Raito muttered, coughing at the amount of burning smog clogging his throat. "What are you doing, anyway?!"

"It is just as I thought, Raito-kun. I know exactly where we are at this point-" L muttered under his breath, looking down at the spiraling sets of stairs in wondering awe. "And look, help seems to have arrived. Let's go!"

"Damn it, L, wait-my ankle-! I think I might've actually broken it through all that crap!"

Without even the slightest pause in direction, L crouched before the abused singer and ignored the continued screams resonating from the other side of the blocked door, waiting for the man to pull himself away from the scene and focus on _him_. "Raito-kun, please settle yourself onto my back, and I shall carry you out."

"But you're-!"

"Stubbornness is alright when you have a choice, Raito-kun, but I think our survival is a bit more _important _at this point!" Turning his head to glance back at the pain-stricken pop-star cringing in both disgust and anguish, L let his emotions once again get the best of him as he made both himself and Raito a _promise_. "I will not leave here without you by my side."

"… … I have to do one more thing though."

Pointing back towards the broken door above them, Raito nodded as L blinked in confusion.

"Call it a last wish on my own part, L. Just for some of peace of mind." The strained rustic quality of his voice seemed to propel the detective into action as he carefully moved up from his crotch and moved forward-

_Slowly._

* * *

As B felt his eyes blink sporadically on their own accord, the sizzling scent of burning flesh and molting metal along with the stinging scorches of pain lacerating down his body did little to stop his black out-

For all of a second, all he could see was darkness.

* * *

_The first time he had seen him, it had been just a fleeting glance in the right direction at the right time._

_Long legs covered in tough denim flew by in a blur as short cinnamon brown locks blew against the wind, tanned skin glistening against the bright lights of the street lamps._

_Without realizing it, he began to stare as the boy ran out of sight, guitar case strapped behind him as it bobbed against the semi-child's back._

… … _If only Beyond had known then what he had known now._

_It could've changed _everything.

* * *

But only for a second, anyway.

The scorched notebook lay beside him, almost completely destroyed (_not entirely, but __**almost**_) in the crossfire, but the Shinigami it had belonged to (_if only by default_) cackled in the background.

"_Damn that kid has some guts, B! Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk! He literally blew your head away!_"

Before B could respond, shining brown eyes met his own through the crackling metal of the double doors still barring him from the musician and detective, making the fog of smoke, burning flesh and indescribable pain almost tolerable.

'Raito…'

* * *

The singer couldn't say he felt bad for the man, as he stared over at his now mutilated face and body, dark-red eyes flooding with emotion…

But he couldn't say he hated him, either.

Who was to say that that couldn't have been Raito himself had he not picked himself up and drowned himself in his music or had not had his family there to help pick up the pieces, which were not still entirely whole?

'_You were what I could've been…_'

There was so much that Raito could've said in that moment where Beyond's dimming eyes, scarring over from the licking flames still simmering against his boiling skin and blistered muscles, yet there was not enough time to convey it in.

'_I was what you thought you could've had…_'

How do you confront someone who had lived through your own pain, yet who had then lived to inflict that same pain twice over to you?

'_And L is who you wanted to be, if only subconsciously._'

"_Don't forget me._" Beyond barely mouthed, somehow seeming more human in this mottled flesh-covered paste now inhabiting most of his body than he had just hours ago, defiantly battering the young teen's body into a submission he himself had yielded so long ago.

Burying his face into L's hair, Raito then turned away as he let his final tears fall, allowing himself to cry out the rest of the infection that had been born with Teru's death, not noticing as L turned away from the scene and began his trek down the stairs once more.

'I'm free, aren't I? Now… _I'm free_.'

It was something he had wanted to _feel_ for a good year and a half now, and to finally obtain such emotion was _spectacular_.

* * *

"RAITO!"

Almost stuttering to himself as the man who had been carrying him stilled in his steps, Raito wiped away the vestiges of tears clinging to his face and eyes and glanced forward-

Almost tumbling off L completely from the shock of such a sight.

Soichirou Yagami nearly sobbed as he flew forward, L putting his friend down just as Soichirou halted right in front of them and pulled the boy into a giant bear-hug.

"God…" Crying tears of joy, the older Yagami nearly hefted the songwriter into the air before grabbing L and practically shoving them towards the warehouse entrance.

"L?!" Blinking in shock, L gasped as he too was hugged at full force by his own former guardian, Watari's aging face turned into one of extreme relief. "Oh, thank goodness…"

"OVER HERE, BOYS!" A random officer called out as he pointed at the four men huddled in front of a large stairwell going upwards, a large score of firefighters flagging over them and making their way upstairs as other men in different sets of uniforms followed thereafter.

"… … Do you have _any _idea…?" Soichirou whispered, not sure what to do now that he had finally found his son.

"Yes. Yes, I do." The teen didn't even stutter as his father finally put him down, the noise of bustling cops and paramedics flying over to them as they cleared the area and trekked the two men limping and covered in dirt and blood.

"It's almost over, Raito." Soichirou whispered into the boy's ear as he pushed him outside, patting down the un-scarred journals that had laid within his pants for who knows how long and which were still conveniently hidden within the pocket of his cargo pants. "You won't ever have to deal with any of this ever again. _I swear_."

'But what about-'

"Uh… Ry-Ryuuga?" Pushing his way fully out of his father's embrace, Raito stumbled his way over to the detective now covertly whispering something to his former guardian under his breath. He began to move forward and away from the scene just as Raito pushed the last paramedic away from him, arm stretched forward.

"Ryuuga!"

'I don't want it to end this way!'

"Raito, wait-"

"Hey!" L blinked as the boy's legs finally gave away just a couple feet away from him, immediately tossing any sense of pride off to the side as he dropped with him.

"Please… just _stay _with me, if only for awhile." Raito gasped as he fell onto the bumpy cement sidewalk, cold, dank arms hefting him up as dark, almost completely black orbs kept him conscious enough to not make a _complete _fool of himself. "Stay with me, please. I don't want to do this alone. Not again."

L felt a surge of pity overwhelm his senses as the almost-broken boy stared up at him with chocolate puddles for eyes and a quivering set of chapped lips for a grimace. This was not the strong man from an hour back who had come rushing through the fires of Hell with nothing more than a will of steel.

This was the vulnerable child that lay beneath that powerful façade, who was still trying to heal from invisible wounds that others simply could not see.

'Alright…'

Holding onto Raito's hand, L made one more promise to himself-

"_I'll stay._"

And immediately wished he hadn't.

'… … _For now._'

* * *

_Two Weeks Later…_

* * *

Raito yawned as he stretched uncomfortably on the semi-hard hospital bed, eyes hurting from the lack of sleep he had been unable to sustain.

"Raito-kun?"

Smiling against his own usually agitated accord, Raito beckoned the disgruntled detective forward as he slinked rather sloppily into the blindingly white hospital room filled from wall to wall with bright assortments of flowers, balloons and various candies that Raito knew he wasn't going to eat anyway.

"Hey. You've been skimping out on your visits these past couple of days, mister."

"I see Raito-kun is looking sufficiently pasty enough drabbed in those ridiculous white pajamas and sheets." L muttered good-naturedly, smirking as the musician facetiously pouted in his direction.

"I always knew I looked good in white, but this is ridiculous." Raito joked as the detective limped his way over to the half-awake musician, his smirk melting into a sad smile which then lingered over his thin, almost completely white lips_._"What about you? How come you're not rocking the white jammies along with me anymore?"

"I…" Slumping even further within himself than usual, L bit his lip as Raito continued to gaze up at him with calculating, inquisitive eyes. "There is something I have been keeping from Raito-kun for the last week that he has spent finishing recovering."

"I know that, L. I think we _both _know that I've known that…" Rolling his eyes, Raito smiled over at the investigator biting his thumb rather anxiously. "Just get to what you're implying alrea-"

"You're doing a lot better, Raito-kun." L cut in, knowing how much it annoyed Raito to do so, but not having enough patience in him to participate in one of their usual spars. "Perhaps even better than _expected_."

The semi-sulk Raito was about to fade into melted away in an instant as the implications behind the man's words were spread out loud and clear.

'Because of _you_, L. Don't you get it yet? I've learned to begin accepting myself and my past… because of what I've gone through, and what you've given me as a result_._'

Though Raito would be _damned _if he ever admitted that out loud.

"That doesn't _mean _anything, does it-"

"Raito-kun, I have recovered from my injuries fairly quickly enough, as they were not nearly as extensive as your own." L twitched as the faint glow of disappointment radiated from the boy's faint frown and downtrodden features. "It has come to my attention that there are other cases that I must attend to now that I am able, and I will not be able to do such thing here in New York. I…"

"You're leaving." Raito finished for him, making sure to keep the deep tremble buried out of his voice and away from his gaze, even if he was doing a rather shoddy job of doing so. "Ok."

"Raito…"

"Of course. I understand… like you said, you have your cases and whatnot." '_Bullshit, you can do that_ _here_!' A voice screeched in the back of Raito's head, wishing to be heard. "Now that my case is over, you can go back to your own life and… I can get back to mine. And my music."

'_Why aren't you telling me to stay, Raito-kun? Isn't that what you __**want**__?_'

"Raito-kun must know that my doors shall always be open to him. If ever you should need to reach me, I have programmed my number into your phone with my original pseudonym and demand that you contact me immediately." The detective thought about throwing caution in the wind and taking that first and last step forward-

'_Or you can just tell me you don't wish me to go, and I shall stay!_'

Gazing at the boy expectantly, Raito simply ignored the chilling stare and nodded his head as he glanced away at the detective and shakily smiled.

"You have no idea how much that means to me, L. _Really_."

'Is it so easy to get rid of me, L? Like a doll you're done playing with to be thrown back into the toy box and left to be forgotten as you play with a newer and better plaything?'

"I'll make sure to call you if some other psychotic fan with connections to your own past begins to stalk me again and kill people." Raito's smile began to grow overbearingly bitter as the seconds melted into minutes, and still the words could not escape his throat.

'You said you would stay! You promised me, L!'

'_Why can't you just ask me to stay, Raito-kun? Didn't I mean anything to you at all?_'

"I suppose… this is goodbye?" L offered a bit weakly, not feeling the least bit like the usually strong, impassive investigator he had worked himself up to become and more like a lost child who was waiting for their parent to give them that piece of candy they wanted _so badly_.

"Yeah." Holding in the hitch of breath lingering on his lips, Raito nodded as the detective backed away from the bed before him. "Thank you, L. For everything you've done me, thank you."

'_I'd do it again if I could_.'

"Until next time, Raito."

'_I think I may be in love with you, Yagami Raito._'

"Hopefully not."

'I guess I was a fool to believe… that you could care for someone like me, L.'

Sharing dismal smiles with each other that both seemed to radiate with regret and guilt, L allowed himself to finally back away from the young singer as he slipped out of the hospital room and closed the door behind him. Large teary caramel-brown eyes slid close as Raito slid down into the bed's sheets and laughed mockingly to himself.

"I guess… this is life imitating art at its finest." Raito chuckled to himself sadly, refusing to even acknowledge the tears pouring down at his cheeks, or the pain resonating within his chest as he turned over, and rocked himself into a deep, if uncomfortable, sleep.


	19. Singing Your Song

A/N: Did I…

Did I…

YES. YES I DID.

Yes I mother-fucking did babeh!

Finished I mean. What the hell else did you think I mean?! ^.^

I don't know whether to do the heart-felt thank-you's now or wait till the epilogue, but um… eh. What the hell, I'll do it now and get it over with lol.

Thank you to Kitsune-55 first off for providing me with this plot bunny and both helping me with this story in terms of information provided and beta-ing! Without her there would BE no LIA and I thank her tremendously for providing the idea of singer!Raito into my ear. I'd like to thank all the people who have reviewed and provided me with endless support and help; you guys are awesome! My readers, you guys are part of the reason this story never was dropped! I look at the stats and quite literally cry at times. I don't know what I did to gain such great readers but I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am but a humble fanfic-writer who simply tries her best to give you guys crap worth reading; hopefully it's at least good crap lol.

I think this story best describes the journey that I've undergone in writing; I compare how I started writing two years ago to now and it's astounding how much has changed about both myself and my own writing style. The fact that I still write DN fanfiction still amazes me and hopefully I don't disappear anytime soon. *Crack at other writers* Lol. I hope you guys enjoy the ending; there is an epilogue which I am holding onto but that won't be loaded for a bit of time. It does wrap up some loose ends and I enjoy it. XD

One last thing, there is a story I am working on, a prequel/sequel to this story of sorts. I wanted to give you guys a heads up; hopefully you'll watch out for it (but be warned it's not going to be very long… thank god.) And now I think that's it! Omg, get to reading already! (I know I am oh-so-entertaining, but really…)

Disclaimer: Death Note = NOT MINE. The song used in this chapter however… TOTALLY MINE. Meaning DO NOT STEAL. It's bad. It's wrong. I'll kill you. Or… maybe just maim you. Haven't decided yet. ;-D

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art**_

Chapter Nineteen: _Singing Your Song_

* * *

Raito sighed as he finally stepped out of the hospital that had been housing him for the last 32 days, three hours and 17 minutes, dark cinnamon-brown locks hanging over his shaded eyes in an attractively disheveled style. Still covered in bandages and hanging off the after-effects of high-dosage painkillers, the teenage pop-star in supposed 'disguise' was not quite ready for the crowd of paparazzi and fans that met him, cameras flashing as screams echoed within his ears.

Hissing at the sudden shock of chaos after the tenuous peace he had been living with for the past month he had been hospitalized (_blessedly_), Raito almost jumped back in astonishment as a firm hand grasped his bicep and pulled him forward through the crowd of maniacs and photographers.

"… … D-dad?! What are you doing here?!" The musician sputtered as Soichirou Yagami, whom he had dismissed nearly a week ago a bon voyage to his home country of Japan, continued to bum-rush through the hungry photographers and eager fans screaming and crying into his ears, wanting nothing more than to grab a piece of the fumbling pop-artist who seemed to be in another world altogether. "I thought you already left for Japan!"

"Just be quiet and follow me, Raito! Damn it… this was supposed to be quiet! Who the hell could've leaked your damn release date?!" Raito blushed as he rolled his eyes, knowing it could have been _anybody_ in his label looking for a few bucks if all it would take would be to find one solitary date and hospital name.

"Don't stress yourself out, 'tou-san, it happens all the time!" Raito shouted back in his native tongue, winking at all the girls who swooned in the midst of his presence. Playing the part of seductive singer was easy, especially when it was a part that he had been playing consistently for the past two years (_even before Teru's passing, he had always commented on how smooth and coy Raito was, and how easily he turned on the wonderful charm within milliseconds_). "Follow me, instead!"

Letting out a rather keen whistle, Soichirou gaped as a car suddenly sped out from the monstrous traffic plunging through the streets of New York and stopped right in front of the hospital, mobs of people rushing out of the way before any sort of impact could occur.

"This way!" Raito shouted, the adrenaline pumping through his veins offering him the much needed high he had been missing for nearly the three months the case had been invading his life and privacy. Throwing his bag over his shoulder and practically pushing his father into the back seat (_lest he remember that he had actually arrived in his _own _car and decide to cop out on his visiting time_), Raito jumped beside the older Yagami and shut the car door amidst the sounds of shrill screams, agonizing groans and multiple sighs.

"I'm guessing you do that a lot?" Soichirou blinked rather stupidly, still not over the shock of people that had been awaiting _his _son's arrival and departure.

"Comes with the job, actually." Raito smirked before giving his father a real once-over, not having had the energy to do so two weeks back whilst he was both too drugged up and too depressed to actually care enough to think about it. "So…"

Shifting within his own seat, Soichirou opened his mouth several times, knowing that _no _amount of apologies could _ever _make up for what he had done (_even if inadvertent_) to his son or the man he had at one time been affiliated with.

"Yes?"

"Still think I'm a fuck-up?"

"Raito." Soichirou sternly bit back his retort and quietly accepted the snap without the least bit of resistance. "I… I never thought of you as a '_fuck up_'. Not _once_ did I ever insinuate you were bad at what you did, only that… it would have been much _better _on your part to prepare yourself by finishing school and getting an actual _career_ than… _this_. But you don't believe me, do you?"

Raito rolled his eyes as he glanced over at the tinted windows of the car still rolling forward.

"I'm _serious. _You… Did your mother ever tell you," The police officer nearly bit his tongue, taking in all of his willpower to admit what he had never wanted to tell his son after all the unnecessary criticism and… well, _Mikami _was another subject altogether, "that I own _all _of your CD's and concert-made DVD's?"

Knowing his son most likely had the most shit-eating grin covering his face, Soichirou refused to look his way.

"… … Shut the hell up." Came the stunned whisper, breaking the older man out of his shamed-filled introspection.

Glancing over at his son, Soichirou was more than a little surprised to see those heart-wrenching eyes glassy and filled with emotion. "I told you; I'm being completely and utterly serious. I… have almost all of your posters and a tee-shirt that your sister gave to me for my birthday hidden somewhere in my closet in a box where I hold all your stuff. And I listen to at least one of your songs everyday when I can. I _swear_."

"So _now _you tell me all this, after… after..." Scrubbing at his eyes rather uselessly as the tears clung to his eyelashes, Raito stifled a small sob threatening to break through his throat. "What use do you think this so called support is going to mean to me _now_? You can't take back all the wrongs you've made, otou-san! I… I don't know if I can ever forgive or forget all the things you've said, the things you've done or even the life you've taken from me, even if by _accident_… I just _don't_ _know_."

"That's not it _at all_, Raito. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, because I know I don't deserve it nor would it be fair of me to ask for something so selfishly, and I know you won't be able to ever forget those memories, because he-_Teru_, was your first love, and I took that away from you, even if by accident, but I need to know if… you're just willing to _try_ to give me a chance at being someone who can be a part of your life again. Maybe not as your father, since I failed spectacularly at that," Raito chuckled as Soichirou gave him a wavering smile, chocolate-brown eyes radiating with a deeply ingrained hurt and, dare the officer think it, _hope_, "But as someone who can provide a listening ear, or just… anything you need, really. I know it's too much to ask for my son back, but I am willing to do just about _anything_ to get a back at least a small piece of that relationship I know I destroyed."

"… … Thank you, I guess." Raito nodded in half-hearted graciousness, even if he was a bit hesitant to do so. "I… appreciate the thought?"

"Raito."

"I'm serious, too." The boy put a hand on his father's shoulder and smiled. "You've done a lot of shitty things, inadvertent or not, but you've done good too. You gave me the drive to do what I do now, you taught me so much about life and how easily a good thing can turn into something _not_ so good _for_ you. And…"

"You came all the way from Japan just to make sure I was ok, and fought through Hell and high water to save me and… _you know_." Watching his own father's eyes water (_making Raito feel a hell of a lot better knowing he wasn't the only one getting emotional_), the tired singer felt his gratitude grow alongside his bitterness, feeling that eclectic mixture overflow within his heart. "I don't know if I can put my trust in you now, but someday, I think I can see that rift closing, even if only a little."

"Good. Good." Nodding stiffly (_and wiping his eyes with the corner of his sleeve oh-so-casually_), Soichirou accepted what Raito had to offer, even if it was so little. "So… there was one last thing I wanted to talk to you about, Raito."

"Hm?"

"Well… you and _Ryuuga_ sure did seem to get _awfully _close before he left the hospital. Visited you everyday, practically ignored his own injuries to make sure yours were being properly cared for, and stayed with you while you slept…"

"And?"

"… It just seems strange to me that after all you two have been through, you were so keen to let him leave."

"I-I wasn't!"

"Excuse me, Raito, but… well, you didn't exactly _stop _him."

"That… he's a _very _important person! I can't expect the world to just stop spinning or crime to halt completely because I want him to be with me all the tim-" Though he stopped himself before he could admit out loud what he had known all along inside, Raito was still reluctant to look up at the shit-eating grin infecting his father's face as he did so. "_Shit_."

"I knew it." Soichirou smirked as the look on his son's face was simply _priceless._ "Raito, you are such an idiot."

"HEY-"

"You had the best detective in the entire world chasing after the last threads of your damn skirt-"

"Otou-san, I'm gay, not a freaking cross-dresser! There _is _a _difference_, you know!"

"And only _you _would be so _oblivious _to the fact, that you would let him go without even telling him how you felt! And for what, _cases_? He's… _you know_! He could do that _anywhere_! What makes you think he couldn't do that with _you_?!" Huffing out a rather indignant snort on his part, Soichirou nearly caped his son over the head as he gaped at the sudden declaration and painfully patronizing words. "Please do not tell me that you didn't think that he was interested in you in that way or I shall be forced to beat the crap out of you, Raito, in ways you have never known."

"But… he… he… he didn't even _say _anything! So that must mean he didn't WANT to stay!"

"… … Or he was waiting for you to _tell _him to stay." Raito must've not thought about that if the look on his face, now immensely downtrodden and melancholy was anything to go by.

"... _Damn_." Hanging his head in shame, Raito bit his tongue. "I screwed up, didn't I 'tou-san."

"Yes, Raito. Yes you did." Patting Raito over the head, Soichirou grinned. "And now that you've recognized your own fault and have sorted out your own feelings on the matter, what are you going to do about it?"

Fiddling with his cargo pocket (_a brand new pair considering his old ones were completely decimated_), Raito yanked out the pen that had been sitting within it and blinked-

"I think in this case, the pen is _indeed _mightier than the sword, otou-san." The boy whispered, a blooming star of inspiration spiraling within his head, burning everything within its path. "He may have begun this game on his terms, but I'll _finish _it on my own if that's what he really wants me to do."

Giving his son a small smile in return, Soichirou wondered if L actually _knew _just who he was dealing with-

And realized that no, the detective most definitely did _not_.

Plucking out the journal from his bag, Raito then stared down at the leather-bound cover held within his slightly scarred hands-

And _smiled_.

* * *

_Six Months Later…_

* * *

L stared at the blank screen in front of him, not noticing the older man standing behind him with a strict look gracing his face.

"Why are you doing to yourself, L? It's been a good half a year, and yet STILL you sit here moping as if it were just yesterday!"

Ignoring his former-guardian and savior, the young detective sighed as he let his gaze drop from the screen of the monitor to the thin keyboard beneath it.

"You're just punishing yourself by keeping away from him! And you saw the look on his face when you said goodbye! He didn't want you to go!"

"Then why didn't he stop me?" L drawled, still, even after a half-a-year, feeling the sting of rejection burn within his chest.

"… … You basically told him _not _to, with the way you were _acting_. What did you expect from him, to see through your pretty little words when he was obviously still recovering from both a large set of injuries, dehydration, the beginnings of starvation and exhaustion, not even including all of the medication they had him under?" Watari nearly growled as L simply blinked. "Yagami-kun is good, L, but you were basically asking him to be _superhuman _if you thought he would be able to read through your little hidden messages in the condition he was still in!"

"Raito-kun is a very stubborn kind of person who resents authority of any kind over his life, and being told not to do something by someone he sees as important to him would only spur him to do the opposite, no matter _what _state of injury he may be in." Halting in his train of thought, the upscale detective bit his lower lip in contemplation. "Obviously I was mistaken in thinking that… Never mind. It is not important-"

"What is it, L?" The older man watched as, for the first time since his rescue, all of the emotions that L kept hidden within his own chest, poured over into his gaze and expression, crumbling the dull façade that had kept the best detective in the world from falling apart at any given moment.

"… … He… he must hate me, Watari. After everything he's been through, he must thoroughly despise my very _being _to the very core. It was… my own fault, after all. I helped create the monster that Beyond became, and in doing so, I helped him des-destroy the very essence in Raito that made him so very beautiful to begin with." Slowly stroking the keyboard stiff beneath his nimble fingers, L's lips curled into a small dispassionate frown. "How could anyone want to be with someone who's assisted in causing them so much pain? I thought that it was possible that maybe, just _maybe _he would look past the façade Beyond had created and see _me_. But I believe that may be too much to ask for."

"L-"

"Watari, no amount of words you could possibly say to me could make me feel better about this."

"But L-"

"I told you, I am at the verge of simply forgetting about the boy and moving on. End of story-"

"L."

"This shall be the last time I shall think about him in _that_ way, in fact, think about him _at all_-"

"L."

"I shall not breathe for him as if he were my next breath-"

"Dear sweet mother of-"

"Or dream of him sleeping alongside me, holding me, caring for me-"

"Overdramatic, muc-"

"All of his memorabilia must go, of course, so I may not be reminded of his melancholic, if incredibly sexy, memory-"

"L, you're being-"

"And his music shall have to be erased from all of my computers, including the ones I have set up in the bathroom, bedroom, living room… well, all of them, like I said-"

"_L_…"

"This will be a very difficult challenge for me to overcome, but I know that I, as L, **shall** prevai-"

"L!" Watari finally bellowed, face red from the sudden exertion of straining his usually tranquil voice. "Please, just be quiet for once L, and watch what I am about to show (_in silence_)… _then _after you are done, you may tell me if you _really _truly believe that he hates you as much as you think he does, L."

Keeping his mouth shut, L allowed the man to move over his shoulder and punch in a number of keys before the screen before him blinked-

Only to come alive with a burst of vibrant color as the camera the picture was being recorded with then narrowed into a very, _very _familiar face being blinded by continually flashing lights…

"_Light, Light! Please, just one question, Light!" _

Raito (_**His**__ Raito, damn it!_) spun around, a large smile wrapped around his luscious lips as his sparkle-filled aura captured everyone in his path. Flashes of lights illuminated his darkly-dressed figure and carefully combed hair, revealing the perfection that had been hiding for the time of the investigation that L had been around him.

"_There's been so much buzz around you and the unveiling of a supposed brand new song at your next concert at Madison Square Garden next week; it's been all the buzz in the entertainment media for the past month and a half! Sources have told us that you've been working on this new song since your breakout from captivity! Is there anything you can clue your fans in on in concerns to the actual song or its inspiration?!"_

The beaming grin on Raito's face grew even bigger as he turned to face the camera and waved to his invisible audience (_which, in turn, made L blush rather adorably_).

"_There's not much I can say except that I hope that the __**person**__ who inspired it hears it loud and clear._"

"_Inspired?! Are you saying that this song was written in dedication to someone?!_"

Raito smirked as he moved away from the camera and microphone, his eyes laughing vindictively.

"_You just had __**one**__ question, right? Well, I honor both mine, and other people's agreements._"

Vanishing from the parade of paparazzi and vicious reporters licking at his heels, dozens of gasps and disappointed moans caught the camera's recording.

"_LIGHT! Light, come back-!_"

A strained moment of silence hung over the detective and inventor, one gaping at the crowd-filled computer screen with something akin to shock as the other simply smirked in response.

"Watari, do you actually think that-"

"Yes."

"Rea-"

"Yes."

"But-"

"Have you not been listening?! _Yes_, L, _yes_. You'd be an idiot to not get this one off the bat, and I know for a fact that you are not, nor have you ever been, an _idiot_."

"Watari…" The dark-haired insomniac muttered as the image splattered across his computer's screen blinked out of focus and shimmered back into the original website's page.

"Yes, L?" The mustached inventor nearly laughed at the look now perched on L's face, the detective appearing to be on cloud nine and loving it.

"Get our reservations arranged in the most prompt and quiet manner as possible." L muttered, dark eyes widening with glee. "It seems that we have some things to attend to after all."

The older man then truly guffawed as the capricious investigator pushed himself out of his chair and wobbled out of the computer room, glad that the man had finally found the common sense he had been missing for the last six months and some weeks.

'It's good to have you back, L…'

* * *

"Oh my God, can you believe it, Light?! Tonight is going to be _amazing!_" Amane Misa chirped from beside her friend's side, blonde hair bouncing rather uproariously within its spastic up-do. "Will _he _be here?! Will he? Oh, please tell Misa _yes _Light! MISA REALLY WANTS TO MEET LIGHT'S NEW BOY-"

"Misa!" Raito hit her over the head before grabbing her arm and pulling her away from his band-mates who were giving him rather dirty looks under the pretense of tuning their instruments and completing their sound checks. "Don't _say _that _out loud_, damn it!"

"Oops. Misa apologizes, Light. Misa forgets sometimes that no one else knows your… '_Secret_'." Glaring at the dumb blonde as she jokingly zipped her mouth shut from the corner of his eye, Raito nearly face-faulted at the chastened look then printed onto her face as she played with the hem of her incredibly short skirt. "But does Light know when 'you-know-who' will be coming to see him?"

"… I don't think he's coming, Misa."

"WHAT?!" Sweat-dropping as he waved an apologetic hand towards the members of the crew covering their ears in retaliation to the inhuman screech, Raito then re-thought whether or not it was necessary to keep Misa in a cage or not. "How… but… Light. Please tell Misa you told him that this song was for him."

"He'll figure it out once he hears the song, wherever he is. This is being broadcasted just about everywhere, you know." Raito shrugged as the petite gothic princess scoffed, unimpressed.

"_That's _not very romantic _at all_."

"No." The songwriter agreed, moving off to the side as he went to put on the last finishing touches of his ensemble and make-up. "But he should know better than to expect otherwise from me."

Misa blinked as the boy slinked off into the darkness, the strobe lights hitting in random spots across the stage and straggling over his slim silhouette.

'And I thought _I_ had missed up relationships…'

* * *

"Did you guys enjoy that?!"

The roar of the crowd nearly made the pop-singer laugh, the packed stadium overflowing with both new and old fans. Throwing the bottle of water that had been handed to him moments before over the stage and into the crowd, Raito shrugged off the grimy sweat pouring down his body and achy limbs trying to slow down his vibe and gave the microphone a tiny grip in response.

"Well, as sorry as I am to say, this here's the last song of the night, everybody! And the one all of you have been patiently waiting for!"

Another roar of excitement emanating from the crowd rocked the band completely off its feet, making the now 18-year-old young man tremble in anticipation.

"I've spent quite awhile on this one… in fact, I'd even go as far to say that this song almost cost me my life." Raito smiled sadly as the audience quieted in anticipation, the person on guitar behind him already strumming a quiet melody. "I know that the person who inspired this piece might not be listening tonight, but I want them to know that no matter what happens they'll always hold a part of me that no one else has. I thank them for what they've given me in return everyday that I wake up and face a new day, and… I… want them to know that I have never felt so much for one person as I do now."

As the crowd came into a dulled silence, Raito gulped inaudibly.

"Anyway, I call this one… "Pieces"."

The lights dimmed until all the spotlight was completely on Raito, and the band behind him was shadowed by the vestiges of low-lighted colored strobes. Letting himself fall into the music surrounding him, the young singer simply let the words fall from his mouth-

And _sang._

* * *

"_It seems every time I turn around,_

_You're there, just watching me._

_It seems every time I frown,_

_You're there, just holding me._

_Giving up the reins_

_Of my ongoing self-control;_

_Taking your hand within my own_

_As you guide me back to a place called 'home'._

_If only I understood_

_Just why you really cared…_

_If only you really knew_

_Why I'm just so scared…"_

* * *

Opening his eyes, Raito took a step forward, thinking back in the beginning when he had just brushed the detective off with sarcastic remarks and rude comebacks-

Who'd have known this is where he would have ended up after so much condescension and brutality?

* * *

"_Don't let me lose myself_

_To these never-ending glowing lights._

_Forget all the 'what-could-have-been's'_

_And lift me from these damning depths._

_I've encased myself in this gilded glass_

_Without thinking of the consequences…_

_What's left of me has shattered,_

_Leaving you with nothing but broken pieces__**.**_"

* * *

"_You're holding me." Raito whispered in awe, eyes melting into a rusty mahogany brown as the dimming light of the setting sun radiated from the window across from them._

"_Yes, I am." L answered, tightening his hold around the boy's slim waist as he did so. L's nose softly brushed the 17-year-old's flushing cheek as the older of the two arched his back, the noticeable slump gone from his usually hunched form._

"_I…" The flushed pink around Raito's cheeks burst as they turned a full magenta, heat enveloping his face's every pore. "I don't feel…"_

"_Raito-kun?"_

"_I don't feel trapped." Raito hesitantly whispered. "With you, I mean. Those feelings of the past are… what I mean is, they're always going to be there in the back of my mind, but with you…"_

'_With you, I felt like I could do anything_.'

Raito felt himself break and mend all at once, shattering into a million pieces, yet feeling more whole than he ever had in all of his life.

* * *

"_Would it have been so wrong_

_To have actually let you in?_

_I wish I had the answer,_

_But I doubt I ever will._

_We have such little time left,_

_Of that, I am sure._

_And when you stare at me with those infinite depths,_

_It's then I know you're the one I've been waiting for._

_Would it be alright_

_If we just stayed for a little bit?_

_To put off the inevitable_

_And live life just for the moment?_

_Separated by more_

_Than just the forces of fate-_

_One day, I'll cross this eternity,_

_If you just promise to wait._"

* * *

_A hand slowly pulled back from behind L's neck as Raito cupped the older man's cheek, a shaky smile enveloping his face. L didn't know whether he was dreaming or not, but if he was, he wouldn't mind living this fantasy out until the end._

"_I don't feel it as much when I'm with you. I'm not saying it all disappears, but, I feel like there's a chance that I could be… free when I'm by your side." Raito tilted his head down as the abnormally shy look on his face made him all the more embarrassed. "I'm saying this all wrong, aren't I? I just… I just don't know how to explain this to you without sounding like a complete idiot. And I don't want to sound like a complete sap, but you just… and I… God…"_

* * *

"_Don't let me lose myself_

_To these never-ending glowing lights._

_Forget all the 'what-could-have-been's'_

_And lift me from these damning depths._

_I've encased myself in this gilded glass_

_Without thinking of the consequences…_

_What's left of me has shattered,_

_Leaving you with nothing but broken pieces__**.**_"

* * *

Maybe it was the people around him screaming, or the memories flooding in, but Raito had never felt such an adrenaline rush on stage.

After he had lost his meaning, Raito's music had lost its touch and emotion that had originally kept people so captivated.

But, with this song-

* * *

"_Wandering down a ruined path_

_On an endless road to nowhere-_

_Breaking down inside myself_

_As the truth hangs over my head._

_Leaving you with so many_

_Unanswered questions._

_I wish I could have told you…_

_I only had the best of intentions._"

* * *

"_I wish for Raito-kun to stay by my side, no matter what happens." L spoke slowly, as if he himself were afraid of what he was saying. "Please promise me that will be the case?"_

_Raito stared at the moment for a moment, wondering if this was the pivotal moment for the both of them. They were both two men who naturally distrusted everyone around them; Raito, out of experience, and L, out of necessity. Yet gazing into those twin pools of dark emotion, Raito realized that what L was asking was more than just a simple promise of physically staying by his side._

"_Of course." Raito answered effortlessly as he gave a crooked grin, feeling the strain of the past couple of weeks finally catch up to him before slipping away just as easily. "You're the only one I can rely on, L."_

-it was like going back to the beginning all over again.

* * *

"_Don't let me lose myself_

_To these never-ending glowing lights._

_Forget all the 'what-could-have-been's'_

_And lift me from these damning depths._

_I've encased myself in this gilded glass_

_Without thinking of the consequences…_

_What's left of me has shattered,_

_Leaving you with nothing but broken pieces__**.**_"

* * *

"_Raito, if nothing else, believe in yourself." Sachiko whispered as she ran her fingers through her son's curled auburn locks. "No one can take that away from you, at least." _

"_No one?" _

"_Unless you let them, then no." Getting up, the mother smiled down at the wondrous expression on the teenager's face. "No, they __**can't**_._"_

* * *

"_Don't let me lose myself-_

_Be there for me, even when I try to run._

_Believe me, even if I say otherwise-_"

* * *

'I'm here, and I believe again-' Raito smiled as he let the final strains of music die down with his voice, pausing only for a slight moment before he opened his mouth ever so slightly. 'In _everything _I might've forsaken for these past two years. I refuse to give up on my ideals and let go of this path I've chosen_. _Even…'

* * *

(_Even you, Teru_)

* * *

"_You are my only one._"

* * *

Raito sighed as the lights blinked out, and he was pulled back into the darkness surrounding his every move. The sound of his band-mates shuffling and laughing brought him back to the reality grounding him, making him hasten his steps off of the stage and back to his dressing room.

Tonight…

Tonight was only the _beginning._

And this time, Raito was going to make sure it was a beginning worth _fighting _for.

L ignored the laughter behind him as he stared at his computer screen, the drink that had been settled within his hands slowly tilting to the side and splatter all over the floor as a result of his own carelessness.

"Oh my!" Watari cried out behind the shocked detective as he put the tray he had been holding down on the table beside his oldest ward. "Boy certain knows how to get his point across L!"

"He…"

"Yes…"

"He…"

Watari's eye began to twitch as he held back his glare, not sure how much more he would have to say to get L to understand that _yes_, Raito _was _serious.

"_Yes_…"

"Watari." L's jaw, which had unhinged open during the prior performance, screwed back shut as he turned over to the amused inventor barely holding back his smile of come-uppance and tiny phrase of '_I told you so…_' behind clenched restraint. "Have you-"

"Yes, L. Everything is all set and ready to go." Once L spun back around and stared at the stilled video still blinking in front of him (_how could L even attempt to deny anything even now, staring at Raito's picture as if it were the last thing he actually had of the man_) Watari let loose the grin that had been clenched back beneath his usually stony façade and didn't even _question _to just _what _L was alluding to.

He knew.

He just _knew._

Now all he had to do was watch the young man reach forward and take what was always waiting for him, even when he hadn't known otherwise.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be alright by yourself, Light?" Bill prodded as he stopped his car in front of his Manhattan apartment, the familiarity of the building doing little to settle his nerves over his singer's state of mind. "I can stay with you for awhile if you want, or-"

"I told you that I'm fine, Bill." Seeing a new side to the musician that he had never seen before his abduction, Bill flushed in embarrassment as the boy smiled unwaveringly in his direction. "I can take care of it from here._ Promise_."

"Can I at least help you with your bags?"

"… … I only have one bag, Bill."

"Still! One bag can be heavy, depending on what you put in it!"

Raito gave the man an amused, dubious glance. "Don't worry, I didn't pack any of my special cement stones or surprise blocks of wood when I had the chance to do so. I was thinking ahead of time, for once."

Grabbing his bag and hefting it over his shoulder, Raito waved as he ran up the stairs to the doors leading up to his apartment, eyes shining with contentment.

"I'll see you later, Bill!"

"But-"

"Bye!"

Slamming the doors behind him, Raito laughed as he ran up the stairwell and made his way to his apartment (_he had sold the original apartment that had been under his name and stuck with the one he and L had stayed in for the 'investigation'_), the large duffel bag shaking alongside his quivering body still in partial motion.

Quietly opening the door (_though the grin on his face was still lingering for all the giddiness he felt because of his post-concert high_), Raito blinked at the stale darkness lingering inside the apartment, not reflecting the much warmer times he had come to associate with the living space.

"Because this isn't ominous at all…" Raito whispered as he entered his darkened apartment, eyes scanning the unmoved furniture and nearly spotless cleanliness the place had to offer. Dropping his bag by the door as he shut it behind him, the nostalgic musician smiled sadly to himself as every endearing (_though back then, they had been terribly __**annoying**_) quality the detective whom had at one time inhabited this place with him had held became amplified by every object within his home.

Flicking on the light switch, Raito strolled into the living room and gustily whistled…

Before blinking in shock.

Pressing a hand against his chest and smiling, Raito almost hummed in satisfaction.

That horrible thrumming within his chest finally deflated like a balloon without air, a feeling of a relief exploding wonderfully where before there had been nothing but paranoia and dread.

He could do this.

He could _do this_.

And for the first time in two years Raito actually believed himself as he said so within his own mind.

* * *

The stirring sound of a high-pitched buzz rattling against fine wood was what awoke him from his land of dreams even as his consciousness rebelled against the automatic response to wake up, face the day, _survive_…

Even now, waking up was a hassle he wished he didn't need to deal with but worked through as best as he could.

"Hello?" Raito barely scrounged out as he grabbed his cell-phone off the night-table and shoved it in the general direction of his ear, his face still smashed against the pillow which had had the unfortunate grace of being his only support throughout the night.

"_Light-o! Hey buddy, it's Billy!_"

"Bill… what the hell are you doing calling me at…" Raito glanced at the alarm-clock next to him in distaste, "6:00 o'clock in the morning. I just got home three hours ago."

"_Ha ha ha see I told the execs just that but they _really _wanted me to get in touch with you asap… look, I know you've just got off tour and knowing how you are, are already gearing up for another vigorous tour, but after all the crap that's happened and the runaround you've put yourself through to finish that damn song and get back in the zone with your fans, I've finally managed to wrangle you some vacay-time!_" Raito blinked, already opening his mouth- "_Now before you even _think _about telling me no, I'll have you know that I've already gone through the protocols and everyone agrees when they say it's in your best interest to stay in New York for awhile and chill the hell out! I would've suggested going back to Japan but I know how _enthusiastic _that would have made you, even as opposed to staying _here_-_"

"Bill, I-"

"_I don't think you get me, Light. No is no; you are taking this damn vacation!_"

"But Bill-"

"_You don't want to stay in New York? Fine! Where do you want to go? Because you sure as hell are not getting inside any studio anytime soon!_"

"Uh…"

"_In fact, if I even _see _you anywhere _near _our offices or anybody spots you and lets me know, I will personally pen for a suspension on your ass, Raito! Is that clear?!_"

"Crystal." Raito finally managed to snap out before Bill could continue on his tirade. He hadn't realized he was such a workaholic… but that did explain a lot now that he thought about it. "New York's fine. Thanks Bill."

"_Eh?_" Was all Bill managed to ground out as Raito clicked his cell-phone shut and got back into bed, tired hazel eyes closing once again.

Meandering between the world of dreams and reality, Raito fully relaxed underneath the covers of his bed and let his body sag in complete and utter tranquility. Instead of wondering 'what do I do next?' he let go of his own anxiety and slowly slipped into a darkness he knew could not hurt him.

* * *

"No…"

_Scribble, scribble, scribble…_

"That just sounds _stupid_!"

_Sigh. _

_Mumble. _

_Scribble. _

_Erase. _

_Scribble. _

"But… damn it!"

Raito slumped into himself as he pulled his legs up and stared out into the green vestiges Central Park had to offer, his sunglasses pulled up as the hat covering almost the entirety of his _now _blond hair hung over his ears quite stubbornly. Throwing his pen on top of his journal, Raito flopped onto his back as the softness of the blanket trapped beneath him almost made him close his eyes on reflex.

For hours he had been attempting to construct something out of nothing; obviously that had been to no avail. Flinging an arm over his now-exposed eyes, Raito let the journal, which had been precariously hanging on the edge of his thigh, fall off his lap and on to the blanket which seemed determined to put him to sleep in plain view of everyone around him.

'_Why… when everything was so clear to me just a little over a month ago, why do I still feel so… blurry?_'

Closing his eyes, Raito let the lull of people passing by drop him even further within the vestiges of sleep…

Falling…

Falling…

_Falling…_

_**Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr…**_

Eyes snapping open, Raito immediately sat up in alarm and pulled his phone out of his pocket, the loose sturdy fabric of his jeans reminding him of-

'_Stop it._'

Sighing at the lost chance at drifting off, Raito snapped his phone open, frowning as the words '_Private Call_' flashed across the screen. Slowly pressing the green 'call' button, the suspicious brunet flinched as his voice almost cracked in greeting. "He-hello?"

"_Mr. Yagami?_"

"Tommy?" Raito nearly fell over as his doorman, a new man whom the owner of the collection of penthouses he now resided in had decided would prove efficient after the whole debacle one Raito Yagami had to live through courtesy of certain psychotic maniacs. "What's wrong? Did something happen to the complex?!"

"_No sir! Uh… it's just, there's a man here to see you. I wouldn't normally bother you sir, but he was adamant you come here as soon as possible to greet him. Even paid me a big wad just to make sure I'd give you a ring, sir._"

As if he were a doll made entirely of porcelain, Raito's eyes rounded until they took up a great span of his face and his skin paled incredibly. Gripping his phone like the lifeline it was, Raito quietly let his voice carry on. "And… who is it that's asking for me, Tommy?"

"_A man named Quillsh Whammy, sir. Would you like me to leave a message? He's really all impatient and stubborn-like and I don't think he'll be leaving anytime soon, even if you don't._"

Before the name had even been spoken, Raito gathered up his journal and blanket and tucked it under his arm, phone pressed against his ear by way of his shoulder. Long legs racketeering forward as the name rang about a dozen bells. Though he had not been able to keep in contact with one of his saviors the other had been able to write him just fine, and that name, that silly little name brightened up his day considerably.

* * *

"Watari!"

Watari himself grunted out in both shock and pain as a lithe brunet with an unusually large smile and bright pair of eyes barreled into him, quietly speaking his name against his shoulder. Nodding over at the doorman who seemed confused (if pacified) by the whole encounter, the old man gently pushed the young boy off of his person and quirked an eyebrow at the lightened locks.

"Wig." Raito answered automatically, pulling off his hat so that he could pluck at the synthetic hair. "Can never be too careful."

"Of course." Straightening his coat, the white-haired man simply nods in the direction of the door Raito has just used to enter the building and smiles once again. "Shall we?"

Nodding just as quickly in return, Raito shoves his journal into an inner-pocket of his jacket and leaves the blanket with Tommy, graciously tipping him in return for the favor. Fixing his sunglasses so that his sight isn't revealed just yet, the now-blond musician followed after the suit-wearing inventor while practically bouncing with excitement.

Inspired or not, he was not stupid enough to decline a chance to hear all about Watari's adventures, and if he was lucky, L's as well.

* * *

Raito once again fixed his sunglasses as he grinned beside the older gentleman leading the way, content enough in the familiar company that, for once, he felt no need to worry about immediate exposure. The restaurant was tiny and not nearly as posh as what other superstars were used to, but Raito was not your run-of-the-mill pop-star and he would dare somebody to say otherwise.

Sitting down at the table presented to them, the two men laughed as Watari regaled the boy with stories of new cases (_even if he couldn't put much detail to them, he tried his best to humor Raito's interests_) and let the musician shrug off any questions he asked in return. It was obvious that though he and Raito had grown closer it was not the bond that Raito wished he were indulging in; the only man Raito could see himself opening up to was not there and Watari quietly respected that.

"Ah, it seems my old age is catching up with me once again. I'll be right back, Raito." Nodding off at the grinning inventor, Raito continued his perusal of the menu in front of him, the waiter pointing in the general direction of the facilities the old man wished to use.

Raito thought nothing of it as the minutes began to pass and his companion did not immediately reappear. Ten minutes passed and still Raito stayed within the clouds of his thoughts, his mood airy and just a bit bubbly.

Finally, after a good fifteen minutes, a lone shadow made its way to Raito's table, loose clothing rustling as an excited slur of limbs jumbled against each other in an effort to make it to the table in record time. Still Raito did not look up from his menu as the person sat down across from him, the atmosphere comfortable and the feeling of safety for some reason increasing ten-fold.

"Well," a deep baritone sliced through the air, decimating the warmth Watari had created in favor for an electrifying sort of cold that didn't feel as bad as one might think. "I can definitely say that blond is a… different look for you."

Raito froze as the familiar voice caused him to stiffen within his seat, the newfound shadow following a pair of pale and completely unwrinkled hands catching the edges of his peripheral vision as he steadily lifted his head and met dark (_oh so dark_) eyes.

"I wouldn't say I prefer it though. You're natural hair-color is too pretty to be cast aside so pettily." Said hands lifted themselves up and toyed with the frayed edges of the blond locks hanging over his eyes, smoothly pulling off the large sunglasses so that chocolate brown eyes were on full display. "Feels a bit strange as well. Synthetic?"

"Y-yeah…" Raito heard himself say, almost like an out of body experience and he was looking at the situation through disbelieving eyes. "Yeah."

L shrugged before picking up the menu and scanning the selection of food, waving off the waiter as he came to their table and ripped out his notepad. Raito's stare fell back down onto his own menu, lips stretched into a strange semi-smile that seemed to lengthen the longer the silence between them carried on.

Despite their past 'encounters' there was little conversation between them if any, the lights of the homey establishment a bit too bright and the eyes and ears of fellow residents prickling even as nothing was said. Their food was ordered and their eyes continued to wander towards each other but still the crux of their conversations were menial at best. Nothing of true substance seemed to emblazon the other as time once again slipped past them and their food was eaten at a snail's pace. More than anything the company was treasured even as the questions continued to trail behind them, eager to be finally answered.

L dropped his fork onto his plate as the last of his cake was finished, gesturing towards the open door just a little behind them. "Are you ready to go?"

Raito nodded emphatically, his eagerness quickly overcoming his usually-cool exterior. Instead of the rancor and bitterness he would have expected himself to feel at an earlier time all he felt was that same sense of relief that had swallowed him alive after his concert. Any traces of anger or abandonment were reluctantly tossed aside as Raito silently followed after the sluggish older man practically fastened at his side.

Once again tugging on the fake blond fringe within his reach, L smirked as he led them back to where, for them, it all began (_and ended_).

* * *

The odd silence soon turned stale, however, once they both got to the large building that served as a reminder of what had been not so long ago. L finally broke the quiet, much to Raito's utter amusement.

"So…" L muttered as he stuck his hands in his pockets, further amusing Raito at the continued habit. "You look as if you're doing good Raito."

"I guess."

"Guess?"

"My record company would disagree with you, obviously."

"You seem stable…" The critical eye the smiling brunet was rewarded with caused the grin stretched out against his lips to lengthen on its own accord. "What did they do to you? Your bosses I mean."

"Eh, not much. They made me go to therapy again once I got out of the hospital and almost committed me… went through a phase where I refused to take their drugs…" Both men entered the apartment lobby with two completely different looks on their faces; Raito, disinterested in his own speech and L completely besotted with what the younger man had to say, "Stopped going to their scheduled appointments since they're appointed doctor was a complete douche and kept trying to harass me… almost got written off my label again and set my career back three years-"

"What?!"

"Wait. You didn't let me finish." Raito smiled as he took back the blanket he had asked Tommy to hold onto for him and propelled the detective away from the large desk within the even larger lobby. "But after about a month of trying to convince them that _no_, I _wasn't _completely bonkers, I managed to talk Bill into getting them off my back and let me work on what I wanted without complaint. I saw my own personal psychiatrist on my _own _terms and dealt with it the way _I _wanted to, not the way my record label did. It was quite liberating to tell you the truth…"

"It sounds like it was quite a ride." L quietly admonished as they made it through the large hallway leading up to 'their' apartment and stood in front of the elevators, not even glancing towards the stairwell just a little to their right.

"It was." Tinkering with a lone blond lock hanging over his left eye, Raito shrugged. "What about you? It must've been hard for you too going through all of that and then having to go back to working on cases as if nothing had happened at all."

"It was." The dark-haired insomniac mimicked. "But it was my choice to take this case so I refused to give into the urges demanding that I…"

Biting his lip as the elevator doors interrupted him with a loud 'ding' and a smooth whirl that usually accompanied the doors opening L slouched after the younger man quietly sliding into the small portal leading them upwards. Once again the silence permeated through even their skin; the celluloid offering that the music within the compact space had a null effect on their solemn moods, only serving to alienate both men from the awkward situation at hand.

Getting off at their proffered floor, L internally sighed as the distance between them grew and then shrank and then grew once again. Would their relationship always be this type of rollercoaster ride where even the smallest of comments could rickshaw their tenuous balance with each other? He could not say even now; for the first time in his life, he was truly disappointed with his own lack of social sensitivity.

The uncomfortable sensation of being perused once again took over L's thoughts as Raito pulled out his keys, those light brown eyes looking through his own façade far too easily to be considered normal.

Pushing the door open, Raito grinned as he all but threw L inside. "Were you… I don't know, content at least? It's all over now... there's nothing else we need to be scared of or nothing else that needs to be done."

"You know, now that you mention it… there _is _one last thing that I've been meaning to do. I've actually been dying to do it for almost a year now." L quietly mumbled as he scratched the back of his head, closing the door behind him as the blond-haired musician stalled just in front of the leather couches L had infamously 'ruined' with his bare, dirty feet and cake stains. "But… I don't know if it's something I should do; or rather, something I have the _right_ to do."

"Hm?" Raito turned his head, a small smile lingering over his lips. "What's stopping you, the best detective in the whole world, from doing it then?"

L smirked as he suddenly stalled his feet and stared at the startled man next to him, eyes gleaming as the usually graceful brunet almost tripped over his own feet. Taking just one step towards the confused singer, the graceless detective crooked out one lone finger and silently beckoned his companion forward, a smarmy smile smothering his lips.

Timidly making his way to the slouching detective, Raito bit back a shiver as the dark-haired investigator quietly straightened himself up and stared at the younger man eye-to-eye, their faces now much closer than before.

"What…" A small, practically miniscule, part of his mind _knew _what L was going to do beforehand but the rest of his brain just couldn't seem to follow that train of thought. "L…"

Hands shaking slightly by his sides, Raito swallowed down an audible gulp of desperation as tiny whispers began to crawling into his ears, harshly rebelling against the moment of clarity and shaking him to the very core. Pale sweaty hands grabbed hold of his wrists in an effort to calm the boy down before his fight-or-flight instincts overran his senses, the older man not moving an inch as his smile slowly fell in a swell of disappointment.

"You are." L answered the former question solemnly, letting go of the appendages still trapped within his gentle grip.

A pit of emptiness settled itself deep within the reaches of Raito's stomach as he realized that L would not reach forward unless he thought that Raito could _handle it_; the problem being with that thought was that Raito would never_ be _100 percent _fine _with such advances. He couldn't control his physical reactions when mentally he was still as scattered as he was, and all the help in the world would never rid him of the horrendous memories that would always play in the back of his head, constantly winding in a never-ending loop to remind himself of the misfortunes a person as unlucky as him had had to live. He could cope with it and learn to 'deal' with the anger and sadness and all of the heavy emotions in between, but there was no 'cure' for this 'disease' he suffered from.

There was only Raito, just as there always had been even before L had ever stepped foot into the mess that was his life.

"When I left you-no, let me talk. This isn't easy for me but I need to say this for the both of us." L sighed out as the songwriter's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something only to shut it a second later. "I thought I was doing something proficient for you, something profound. After B did everything he did to you, I felt as if my continued presence in your life would only complicate your healing process. I know you will say otherwise but _my_ appearance, _his_ appearance, what he did to _you_…"

Lips thinning out in remembrance, dark strands of hair fell forward and obscured the obsidian-like gaze so that Raito could not nit-pick at them or try to make sense of the emotions reflected within their usual endless depths. "I thought that if I stayed here it would only give you time to realize just how much all of this is my fault and…"

"_And_…?"

"And I didn't want to ever see that look on your face; that same look Beyond gave me as he watched us leave him stranded in that factory with only the fires of Hell to keep him company. The blame, the loathing, the violence… I put that there without even realizing it. I didn't want to see the same thing in you, especially ever directed at me." The admittance was a hard one but L owned up to it wonderfully, even as his eyes continued to cast themselves downward and his face withered into a shadow of its former self. "Whatever you feel now, however you may feel about me, I will finally accept it… because I have learned that when you truly _care _for someone you take the good and bad and whatever else they are willing to give. That's what you taught me, Raito. It was the last thing I needed to truly learn about human nature and about myself as a person."

Finally glancing up at the man with an unreadable expression on his face, L gathered up the last of his strength and held onto his own weakness; a weakness which he now knew was also his greatest strength. As the seconds ticked by the expression on Raito's face became all the darker until the slim frosted-skinned detective could only cringe internally and buck himself up for what was sure to be a rapprochement.

Instead, however, a hand slowly lifted itself up and laid itself over his angular cheek, gently caressing the cold skin warming itself to the soft touch given to it.

"If you really want this," the singer's unusually hoarse voice echoed throughout the empty apartment in a reminiscence of past pain and present discourse, making L's insides freeze with irrational fear and eclectic hope, "you'll have to accept _all _of it, all of _me_. Can you really handle that?"

Taking a deep breath, the older and much more decrepitly cynical man moved forward as the hand on his cheek pressed closer to the skin held between its palm and fingers, wanting to become a part of the person he had waited so long to see. The answer wasn't given in the form of speech as the movement began to blur and the warmth rise until all that was left was nothing but a mesh of limbs carefully entangled against each other without having to truly touch just yet.

Raito bit his lower lip as L halted himself just millimeters away from the other man's mouth, their breaths intermixing as the nervous air around them grew all the more heated.

The want to say something drifted off into oblivion as it was Raito himself who made that last plunge and pressed forward, soft lips meeting dry, slightly chapped ones. A shaky pale hand came up and brushed the awful wig off Raito's head and buried itself into the mess of reddish-brown locks that softly intertwined against his fingers.

One chaste kiss turned into two, then three. Soon breathing became a luxury neither could afford as gentle nips became a bit more savage and the rough feel of warm, wet muscle slid against each man's lips in a battle for dominance neither cared to win nor lose. Raito's hand, which had been perched against L's cheek, slid down and around the lengthy neck within its reach and twisted into the soft, slightly oily strands of coal-black hair tickling his fingers and pliable skin of the juncture of his neck.

There was no rush nor was there any harshness in their touches. It wasn't explosive or even violent. It was a hard tenderness that needed to be fed between them; L, a person who had never felt such method of affection and Raito, a man who had lived through Hell in the form of having it ripped away from him without even being able to say goodbye.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the need to breathe overcame them, but still they stayed wrapped against each other. Staring into his eyes, Raito pulled away from those lips and smiled a smile he hadn't indulged in, in years. A sparkle of that 16-year-old boy who had had everything to live for mirrored itself against the hardened visage the 18-year-old man now held. He had learned long ago that he couldn't save the world and even though that urge to want to still lived on within him, a new strain of strength was interweaved alongside it.

"I'll stay." L whispered against his ear, perhaps unnecessarily.

Raito laid his head against his shoulder, eyes now closed.

Despite his own obstacles (_and L's as well_) his want for _more _(_more of life, more of love, more of strength, more of _everything) dwindled into nothingness until all Raito could see was an ever-present light within the darkness he had been encased within. There was no happily ever after for a person like him but there would always be an _ever after_ with which he could comfort himself.

The will to live had never seemed so bright.


	20. Epilogue: Concluding the Fall

A/N: And now we can truly say it's the end (and before anyone says anything about certain 'unanswered questions'... ;-D and that's all I have to say about that). Thank you's are in the previous chapters! Hope you guys enjoyed this story; I doubt I'll be making another one like it for a loooooong while. ^.^; Thanks for reading!

* * *

Title: _**Life Imitating Art **_

Epilogue: _Concluding the Fall_

* * *

_Was it all really worth it in the end?_

_So many people have asked that question of me, each person asking knowing that I will not give them an answer. _

_Even A has asked me in his nonchalant manner whether or not I was satisfied with the outcome of my actions; whether or not I regretted anything I had done (or not done in some cases_)_. _

_The immediate answer in anyone elses eyes (to anyone that could be considered _normal _or whatever _that _meant, anyway) would be **no**. _

_But you see, I am not, nor have I ever been **normal **in _any _sense of the word. _

_Even before the case and the so-called trauma, even before the blood-stained hands and aching giggles filled with nostalgia, even before the temper-tantrums and the pensive scowls, I knew I was different from all of my peers. _

_And it wasn't my intelligence that set me apart, either. _

_Amplified by the rush of knowledge that I was something a bit __**more**__ than another genius working his way to the top, I knew I was motivated enough to do what I had to do and succeed where others had ultimately failed-_

_Yet all it would take was one chance encounter with a beautiful fallen angel which would inevitably change _everything _for me, and bring about my own downfall without me even realizing it_.

_Every second that I was with him, though, was one more second that I came to treasure immensely. Every moment that I made him bleed and scream and shout was one more moment where I knew that I would not be forgotten and a reminder that my mark would be forever etched onto his smooth, perfect expanse of skin. Each one of my actions and words were symbols of my eternal gratitude for him, and an unsettling comfort for me in knowing that I would be remembered by the one I cared for most._

_At the time, I had not __**cared **__whether or not that memory would be one of anguish. I had only wanted him to see who I was, __**what **__I was, and not fool himself into believing that such a thing as a completely happy ending was ever __**possible **__especially for people like __**us**__. Because we were one in the same. I swear it. _

_I swear it!_

_And I succeeded. Not entirely, of course, as he has flown from my side and continued on his trek elsewhere in this world, but my memory shall remain within both him and the man whom I have always both abhorred and admired. _

_I never even thought I would have __**that **__much, let alone live the unbelievable dream that I did; that I would be able to hold and caress him as I did in those few short moments where he was only __**mine**__ and mine only. All that I was able to do after and before that moment of pure ecstasy was just icing on the cake; things done in madness, of course, but a special kind of madness that only he would be able to appreciate many years from now. _

_So it is at my end that I now, inevitably, I believe, think back upon my beginning. _

_For Light was a large part of the beginning of my creation and it would only be apropos that I should relish in his memory now that I feel my seconds tick, tick, tick down until they ultimately mean nothing to me and where I am now going. That dank jail cell could only hold me for so long, after all, until that dastardly Shinigami with his ever-present grin and distorted body would once again appear in my presence. His crimson red eyes even now seem to glow with a macabre humor as I stifle another hysterical giggle and let my head fall back against the cot I was strapped upon, the sound muffled and slurred. _

_Today was the day, after all. _

_They may have sentenced me to death…_

_But Ryuuk had always said that he had had first dibs. _

* * *

"_Hey, B? You alright in there_?" Ryuuk giggled as Beyond stared off at the wall, arms strapped down to the table he was laying upon as the man in front of him tapped the needle filled with _poison_ against his gloved fingers.

_Such is the life of one such as myself. _

"_You're so quiet…_" Ryuuk pulled out something from beside him as his eyes seemed to glow a darkened scarlet, much like Beyond's own false eye-color. "_Aren't you gonna say anything_?"

_There's nothing left within me to hate or fight; all I feel is the same sense of loneliness that I thought I had beaten back so long ago. _

Beyond said nothing as the Shinigami gave a low, hoarse cackle just as the man in front of him dressed completely in white took a step closer to the shackled murderer.

_A fit end for me after such a perfectly disastrous crime towards someone I was supposed to __**protect**__. _

The scratching of a writing instrument on paper interrupted Beyond's train of thought as he turned his painfully distorted face towards the Shinigami now openly laughing out loud.

_But I did protect him didn't I?_

Glancing over to the side, the clear paneling separating the fire-scarred murderer from the other people watching his unavoidable demise shimmered violently under the man's crimson-eyed gaze, a tender blue-eyed stare cropped with very short golden blond hair blinking away tears of anger and sadness before they could fall.

_In my own special way?_

If there was anything to regret, it was that his friend (_his __**only **__friend_) had to see him this way.

_I loved him just as much as L, maybe even more so!_

**Possibly.**

_But now, it was time-_

"Any last words, Beyond?"

_Counting down the seconds…_

"_Yeah… any last words B?_"

_Until they are finally-_

Closing his eyes under the scrutiny of blinding lights, accusing eyes and maniacal grins, Beyond sighed as whispered his 'final words'.

'No regrets.'

(_Oh so sweetly)_

"No."

'None whatsoever.'

_**Gone**__. _

* * *

_Finis._


	21. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE BIATCHES!**

DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION YET?

Goodie. ^.^

Now, there has been some very stringent nastiness going around FFdotnet this past year and it has been, luckily enough, tossed my way before any damage could be done to me. I've spoken about this in plenty of author's notes but I suppose this is the real deal.

I have created a livejournal account (OMG MY SWORN NEMESIS NOOOESSSS!) and have decided to discontinue my FFdotnet account. All of my work will be transferred to my livejournal and future updates shall be continued there once I am settled in and everything has been moved. I will not delete my account but I will also not re-make it should it be deleted by personnel within the website and douches working with them.

Various readers have been reporting stories and authors due to what they feel is 'disturbing' or 'overly mature' content that should not be shared on FFdotnet. I have done my own part to try to stifle down the onslaught of assholes making it harder for the rest of us fanfic writers but I also am not going to let someone demolish my work simply because they do not like it. It's not what I stand for and I am not someone who takes such things lying down peacefully. Please, if you know of such people contact other writers, contact FFdotnet workers via the links provided overhead and don't let such people censor whatever it is they want to based on their own personal opinion and no one else's. Discrimination should never be tolerated, especially when it comes to the basis of stories which don't have to be read if the reader feels they do not want to, whether the content be 'disturbing' or not. :-P

The link to my livejournal is on my profile page. If anything is to happen to said profile page just type 'hari_aisu' in the livejournal search; you'll find me if you look for me. :)

Once again, I thank you guys for all the support you've given me on this site. If you wish to contact me you can still PM me; I will still answer any and all review/messages/emails and my aim is still the same. I hope all of my readers continue to follow me, whether you have a livejournal or not.

So in classic Hari-Aisu flourish-

THANKS YOU GUYS. YOU KNOW MAMA LOVES YOU LOOOOOOOONG TIIIIMMMMEEEEE! XD


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